From the Ashes
by ncismom
Summary: Life in Baltimore is about to become complicated for Detective Anthony DiNozzo...As requested, my take on how DiNozzo and Gibbs met.  Father/son   Chapters 17 and 18 are up!  Story is complete!
1. Chapter 1

**Title: From the Ashes**

**Author: ncismom**

**Characters: Tony DiNozzo, Jethro Gibbs, OC**

**Warnings: angst**

**Spoilers: takes place pre-series, AU/not based on the canon episode "Baltimore"**

**Summary: My take on how DiNozzo and Gibbs met**

**Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I still don't own NCIS.**

**Author's note: Here it is! As requested, here is the first chapter to my Baltimore story and I hope that it is everything that you, my readers, expect. Thank you all for casting your vote and I assure you that I'm going to do the other stories as well after I finish one of the other ones that are already in progress. Anyway, I'm anxious to hear what you all think! Thanks in advance for all your support and encouragement; it means more than I can say!**

Part 1

Captain Mitchell Waters had just popped his third antacid in the past hour and he had a feeling that before the day was over, he would more than likely be working on the second bottle hiding in his desk drawer. It was barely the beginning of his shift and the day had already had the makings of yet another day from hell; maybe he should have just called in sick.

Today was the day that the thorn in his flesh, better known as Detective Anthony DiNozzo was returning to work and he was not looking forward to seeing his face any time soon. Because of DiNozzo's actions, his entire precinct was now under scrutiny from Internal Affairs, creating an atmosphere of resentment and hostility amongst the ranks; fortunately most of that hostility was directed towards DiNozzo and the Captain firmly believed that the troublesome detective deserved every physical and emotional blow that he had been dealt.

"The stubborn fool keeps coming back for more," he mumbled to himself, opening DiNozzo's file to put in yet another reprimand for fighting; maybe with a few more provoked incidents, he could officially get rid of DiNozzo, provided he lived that long. Waters stared at the photograph in the detective's portfolio. "You would think that you would've learned by now; if you can't run with the big dogs, you better stay on the porch."

His thoughts were interrupted by a knock on his door. He glanced up and motioned for Lieutenant Paul Morgan to enter. Morgan had been under his command for several years and he considered Paul to be one of his closet friends and confidantes; they had weathered many storms together and now they were facing the tempest that DiNozzo had unleashed on the department.

"What's up, Paul?" he inquired, unsure if he actually wanted to hear what he had to say.

"We've got a homicide," the lieutenant announced. "A Marine Sergeant and his family were found dead in their home and it looks like it could be linked to the Griffon murders. I know normally, we'd hand this off to the Navy cops, but since we're still investigating the other murder, I wasn't sure what you wanted to do."

"Isn't that Detective DiNozzo's case?"

"Yes it is."

The captain leaned back in his seat, a sneer escaping his lips. "We'll share jurisdiction; DiNozzo can handle the Navy cop."

Morgan's grin now matched his own. "You know that DiNozzo doesn't work well with others."

"Yes, I know," he gloated. "But at least it will keep him out of our hair until we can figure out how we're going to get out of this mess that he's created."

"I'll place the call to D.C. and then I'll inform DiNozzo that he has a new development on his case."

Waters glanced at his watch. "He's due in any time now. Let me know how he takes the news."

"Will do, sir." Morgan headed back to the squad room with a promise to join the captain for lunch.

He knew DiNozzo well enough to realize that the young man would resent NCIS being called in on his murder investigation; the detective had become quite the loner ever since his former partner had taken his own life. Afterwards, Tony had preferred to work alone because he felt there was no one he could trust and now he was being ordered to work with a federal agent. Failure to cooperate with a federal agency in an investigation was a dismissible offense, especially when one had as many black marks on their record as DiNozzo had on his.

Maybe it wasn't going to be such a bad day after all.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs despised rush hour traffic; what should have been a forty-five minute drive had taken him almost two hours. After being forced to navigate several construction sites and idiot drivers who had no business possessing a driver's license, he was not in the mood to deal with the local LEO who was supposed to be his liaison with the Baltimore PD.

The Baltimore PD had informed him of the dead Marine and his family and that he would be meeting one Detective Anthony DiNozzo, who would be working with him when he arrived. Ever since Mike Franks had retired, he had preferred working alone; Gibbs had learned the hard way that there were very few people that he could count on to have his back and now, he had been asked to place his trust in a complete stranger.

Pulling up to the crime scene, he saw the familiar sight of flashing lights and yellow crime scene tape; he cut off the engine, grabbed his coffee and made his way through the crowd of on lookers. Flashing his ID to the uniformed officers, he crossed under the barrier and made his way to the house that no longer rang with the laughter of a happy family, but with the stench of death.

He pushed down the memories that threatened to resurface; the death of his own wife and daughter still ate at him like a cancer that had no cure. There were times that their deaths seemed surreal but he knew that there was nothing he could do to bring them back; he had avenged their deaths and now he had to move on. Unfortunately, that was easier said than done.

Gibbs held up his badge once again as he nodded a greeting to the officer stationed by the front door. "Gibbs. NCIS."

"You're the Navy cop?"

"That would be me."

"I figured you'd have a uniform or something."

Gibbs pinched the bridge of his nose, forcing himself to mentally count to ten before he supplied the other man with an answer. He was not going to waste his breath trying to explain the significance of NCIS to the officer; the agent had a murder to solve and he was not in the mood to engage in such a pointless conversation.

"I'm supposed to be meeting Detective DiNozzo; is he here yet?"

"Detective DiNozzo?"

The NCIS agent's eyes narrowed, his piercing blue orbs studying the officer's nametag. Officer W. Dayton was wearing on his already frazzled nerves. "Officer Dayton, I don't make a habit of repeating myself. Now, it's a rather simple question; is Detective DiNozzo here yet?"

"Uh, no sir," Dayton stammered. "He's not here yet."

"Where is he?" he demanded to know.

"I…uh…he probably had to report to the Captain this morning; he's been on leave and…"

"Jethro!"

Gibbs turned around at the sound of his name to see the familiar face approaching him. The agent motioned to the medical examiner, his eyes following the older man's semi agitated movements. He and Dr. Donald Mallard, usually referred to by his comrades as Ducky, had been through a lot together over the years and he counted on Ducky's knowledge, expertise, and friendship to guide him. "Hey Duck," he greeted.

"I'm sorry I'm late," Ducky apologized. "The directions I was given were atrocious and then when I got going the right way, I ran into quite a bit of construction and…"

He raised his hand, abruptly cutting off the physician. Ducky could take the simplest detail and weave it into a tale of grand proportions for anyone who would listen. "No problem, Duck; we still managed to beat Detective DiNozzo to the scene."

"We're sharing jurisdiction?" the ME inquired.

"Not if he doesn't get his butt down here," Gibbs growled.

"Are you looking for me?"

Gibbs turned around to see a dark haired man walking up the stairs. He was young but his eyes spoke of a wisdom that could only come by playing the hand that life dealt you. Detective Anthony DiNozzo was dressed in jeans, sneakers, and a red hooded sweatshirt with Ohio State emblazoned on the front; his natural good looks clashing with his casual attire. He wasn't at all what Gibbs expected.

The detective carried himself confidently but his movements were slow and deliberate as if he were in pain and attempting to hide his weakness; something he had done several times himself. As DiNozzo stood toe to toe with him, Gibbs could see the fading bruises on his jaw; his gut was telling him that someone was using Detective DiNozzo as a punching bag, which would explain the pale purple and yellow marks adorning his face. Any feelings of concern that he was experiencing were quickly tamped down; he couldn't afford to get involved in DiNozzo's personal matters, there was a murder to solve and time was wasting. Who knew how long they had until their killer struck again?

"I am if you're Detective DiNozzo," Gibbs grumpily countered.

"That would be me, Anthony DiNozzo at your service; I guess that means you're the Navy guy," the detective deduced.

"Gibbs, NCIS; stands for Naval…"

"I know what it stands for."

Gibbs glared at the brazen young man; DiNozzo certainly didn't seem to be easily intimidated, a trait that he truly appreciated. The agent nodded towards the ME, who was taking his role as the silent observer to heart. "This is Dr. Donald Mallard; he's the Medical Examiner."

Tony extended his hand and greeted the doctor. "Dr. Mallard; it's nice to meet you."

"It's my pleasure, Detective DiNozzo and you can call me Ducky," the doctor replied. "DiNozzo; that would be Italian."

"It's about as Italian as Mallard is Scottish."

"Very good, Anthony; are you a student of ethnic origins?"

DiNozzo shook his head. "Nope; I've just watched enough James Bond to know my Scotsmen."

"You must be referring to Sean Connery, a brilliant actor in his own right; have you ever seen him in…"

Gibbs cleared his throat and stepped between the two men who were acting like they were long time friends instead of mere acquaintances. "Do you think we could get to work?" he barked.

Tony lifted up the tape that was blocking the front door. "After you, Agent Gibbs."

As they entered the house, Gibbs noticed Dayton visibly bristle as DiNozzo walked by him; he was sure that the detective also recognized the officer's obvious dislike for him, but Tony simply smiled at the man in the uniform and said, "Hey, Dayton. How ya doin'?"

Dayton purposefully spit in DiNozzo's path, causing the detective to stop in his tracks. Gibbs saw the daggers shooting from Tony's eyes, hatred and frustration emanating from the expressive orbs. "Is there a problem, Detective DiNozzo?"

DiNozzo stood tall, his gaze never leaving Dayton's neutral expression. "Nope. No problem, Navy guy. I'm sure Officer Dayton just missed the grass; I'm sure he didn't mean to possibly contaminate a crime scene."

Gibbs' piercing gaze followed Tony as he stepped past him and entered the house. Something was definitely amiss with the situation that had just played out in front of him; neither Dayton nor DiNozzo were willing to expound upon their obvious dislike for one another and Gibbs couldn't help but be concerned that the personal war waging between the two officers would become an obstacle as they searched for a killer.

The agent joined DiNozzo as he was kneeling next to Ducky, intently listening to the ME describe the probable time and cause of death. Glancing around the room, he knew that they would be at the crime scene a while, especially with three bodies to process; he decided that it may be a good idea to keep an eye on Detective DiNozzo. Gibbs considered himself to be a good judge of character and he wanted to be sure that his instincts were right about the Detective; if they were, then Anthony DiNozzo was in over his head and no one was willing to throw him a life preserver.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Our victims names are Sergeant Raymond Milner, Victoria Milner, and their daughter Grace Milner; according to Mr. Milner's brother, Robert, they were supposed to get together at their parent's house for a barbeque. When the Sergeant didn't show, Robert came over and discovered the bodies. He's coming down to the station to give a full statement a little later, or so I've been informed," Tony announced to Gibbs and the ME as they watched Ducky take another liver temperature.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Gibbs asked.

"It means I'm telling you all the information I was given before I left the station; isn't that what we're supposed to do since we're sharing jurisdiction?"

Detective Anthony DiNozzo had only been on the clock for a little less than two hours and so far all he had managed to do was to ignore the slurs and the stares of hatred and betrayal that seemed to follow his every movement. Truthfully, the hushed whispers and the thinly veiled threats no longer bothered him; he was in the right and he refused to back down despite the constant pressure from the department and the brass.

He had been informed that another family had been murdered with the same MO as the Griffon murders and that he would now be sharing jurisdiction with NCIS since the father was a Marine Sergeant; of course, no one bothered telling him that the Navy cop was a former Marine as well and that sense of brotherhood could be a problem during the investigation. Gibbs had never confirmed that he was a Marine, but the haircut gave it away; after all, Tony was a detective and he was quite adept at putting together puzzles that didn't have all the pieces.

Gibbs was a tough man to read, but given time, Tony believed that he would have a good handle on the man that he was going to be forced to work with; one thing was for certain, the NCIS agent didn't believe in playing games and he was grateful for the change because within the past couple of months, his life had become nothing but a game to Internal Affairs and the Baltimore Police Department.

The Navy guy certainly had him on edge but he refused to permit the agent to see behind the mask that he so efficiently wore; he was used to hiding his discomfort and insecurities from others, it was something he had been doing for years. The agent would be going back to DC and he would still be in Baltimore and hopefully, their paths would never cross again. He had enough on his plate without worrying about making a good impression on Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs. If Gibbs didn't like him, he could file a complaint with Captain Waters; it wouldn't be the first and it probably wouldn't be the last.

If Gibbs wanted to be impressed, he should be impressed by the fact that Tony managed to reign in his temper when Officer Dayton spit on the ground in front of it; it had taken every ounce of Tony's reserve not to take Dayton to the ground but doing so would have resulted in yet another mark against him. He had been warned by IA to stay clear of everyone and keep his nose clean until the investigators figured out who was telling the truth. Tony had tried to do as he was told, but being a detective made it nearly impossible to stay away from the precinct.

Maybe this case would give him a bit of a reprieve; it would be refreshing to work with someone who had no ties to the Baltimore Police Department or Captain Waters. He scrubbed his face, the sensation of two day old stubble tickled his palm; Tony's mind momentarily drifted as he attempted to remember the last time he had shaved. Maybe Gibbs wouldn't take too many points off for his unkempt appearance. Then again, why did he care what the Navy guy thought of him?

After he had provided the names of their victims and Ducky had given his initial evaluation as to what he believed to be the cause of death of the Sergeant, he began shooting pictures of the crime scene, leaving Gibbs to converse with the ME. He heard the physician telling the agent that the Marine had been stabbed in the heart while the two females had their throats slit; there was a compassion in the ME's voice that DiNozzo rarely heard in the field of police work. Tony had to admit that he liked the Scotsman; he had immediately put Tony at ease and the easygoing nature of the elderly man had momentarily encouraged him to lower his defenses so he could enjoy conversing with the doctor.

As he was snapping a picture of the young girl known as Grace, he noticed that she bore a fake tattoo that had been carefully placed on her small arm. It was the same tattoo that had been placed on the Griffon girl's arm prompting him to start looking around the body for the paper that the tattoo had come on; the lab was supposed to trying to figure out where the tattoos were sold, but like everything else, most of his requests were put on the backburner.

"You got something, DiNozzo?"

He looked up to see Gibbs standing over him, his eyes sparkling with curiosity. Tony pointed to the tattoo on the girls arm. "Amy Griffon had this exact same tattoo on her arm. It's one of those tattoos that you can put on with water; sometimes you can get them out of those machines in stores."

"It can be traced, right?" Gibbs inquired.

"Yeah, I'm uh…I've been working on it." Tony knew that he had basically just lied to Gibbs, but thankfully, the agent didn't press the issue. He made a mental note to go to the lab and see what the forensics department had discovered about the tattoo.

"Anything else similar about the two cases?"

"Yeah, they were all more than likely killed together."

"And how did you draw this conclusion?"

"The amount of blood in the room; I doubt we'll find blood in any other part of the house. The child is killed first, followed by the wife and then the husband; the Sergeant was more than likely made to watch his daughter and wife die."

"Jethro, judging by the time of deaths of the victims, Detective DiNozzo is correct in his assumption," Ducky declared.

"What else ya got?" Gibbs wanted to know.

"As Dr. Mallard has already confirmed, the Sergeant was stabbed in the heart after the throats of his family were slit; now whether that's supposed to be symbolic, I'm not sure; but the MO matches the Griffon case to a tee."

"I think you need to bring me up to date on where you are on the Griffon case; I'll have their bodies taken back to DC where Ducky will do the autopsies. Any objections?"

Tony shook his head. "Nope."

"I'll let you both know the results as soon as I can," Ducky promised as he busied himself preparing the bodies for transport.

Tony and Gibbs assisted the doctor in placing the bodies in the bags and lifting them onto the gurneys. He noted the care that both the agent and the ME demonstrated as they secured them. "You'll hear from me soon," the ME stated.

"Thank you, Dr. Mallard."

"You're welcome, Anthony; remember, my friends call me Ducky."

Tony waved as Ducky escorted the bodies to the ME's wagon to take them back to DC. After the ME left, he found himself staring at the ground where the bodies had lain. He could almost taste the fear that the family had to have experienced as they faced their tormentor; how many more families were going to die before he caught the person responsible? The killer was going to slip through his fingers all because he was being punished for doing the right thing by Waters and his loyal followers; was being right worth the injustice being served?

"You okay?" the agent asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he lied once again. He seemed to be doing a lot of that to the Navy cop.

"Are you ready to go over the evidence you collected from the Griffon case and see what other similarities pop up?" Gibbs suggested.

"Yeah, I'll have to drop by my place and get the files; there's a coffee shop just down the street from my apartment."

"Something wrong with the police station?"

Tony blew out a pent up breath. "Too much going on; it's hard to hear yourself think in the bullpen."

"Something wrong with your apartment?"

"It's a mess," Tony answered through clenched teeth. "I wasn't expecting company; my maid hasn't had time to clean."

He could tell by the smirk that Gibbs was wearing that he didn't buy either story that Tony had just concocted, but he didn't care. His top priority was bringing a killer to justice and he would do it with or without Gibbs' help; his personal affairs were none of the older man's business and if pressed, Tony would be more than happy to tell Gibbs where he could put his shared jurisdiction.


	2. Chapter 2

Part 2

Detective Anthony DiNozzo smiled at the waitress as he entered the coffee shop to meet Agent Gibbs. Rita had been working at the shop for several years, relying on her meager wages and tips from two different jobs to make ends meet and help put her son through school. Her husband had passed away unexpectedly fifteen years ago, leaving Rita and her son to fend for themselves. She had taken him under her wing and treated him like a son and in turn, Tony looked upon her as the maternal figure that he had been missing ever since he was a young boy.

"Tony!" Rita called to him. "It's good to see you! Are you feeling better?"

Tony placed a kiss on the waitress's cheek and then took the loaded tray that she was carrying, placing his file on top of the coffee cups. "What table does this go to?" he asked.

"Table two," she replied, following him over to the trio that was waiting for their coffee and pie. Rita served the customers and took her tray back. "You didn't answer my question," Rita pointed out. "Are you feeling any better? That flu really had a hold of you; I don't think I've ever seen anyone ache so badly in my life."

"I'm doing fine; that soup you made me really did the trick. I uh…actually went back to work today." Tony felt guilty for lying to Rita, but the last thing he wanted was to get her mixed up in his problems; she had enough on her plate without worrying about him.

"And how did that go?" she pressed.

"Fine," he lied. "Just fine. Actually, I'm supposed to meet someone here so we can go over a case."

"Salt and pepper hair? Gruff personality? Eyes that can shoot daggers?"

Tony grinned at the waitress as she described the NCIS agent to a tee. "That would be him; I take it he's here."

"Table 9."

"Ah, the back corner," Tony recalled. "Figures."

"He's on his second cup of coffee and he keeps looking at his watch," she informed him.

"Probably because I was supposed to meet him fifteen minutes ago." Tony realized that Gibbs would not be happy with his lack of punctuality, but the delay had been unavoidable. If the agent didn't like it, he could take it up with Internal Affairs.

"Don't let me keep you then. Do you want your usual?"

"Please."

"I'll bring it right out," Rita promised.

Tony winked at the older woman. "Thanks. I'll be over there with the Navy cop."

As Rita headed to the kitchen, Tony made his way over to the table where Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs was waiting. He pulled out the chair opposite of the other man and swung his leg over the back of the chair as he sat down. Tony was still reserving his judgment on Gibbs; there was something about him that confounded Tony and until he figured out the missing piece of the puzzle, he would make sure to keep his guard up and his mask firmly in place.

"You're late," Gibbs growled.

"Sorry about that," he apologized. "I uh…had something to take care of."

"Never say you're sorry; it's a sign of weakness."

"What?" Tony had to admit that he was confused by Gibbs' words; it almost sounded like he was spouting off some kind of ancient proverb.

"Rule 6," the agent explained.

Tony had no idea what Gibbs was talking about nor did he want to press the issue at the moment. What he wanted was to find a murderer before he killed again; he couldn't bear the thought of anyone else falling prey to this serial killer. Even after all these years, he still was appalled by the cruelty that humans could inflict on one another and although Tony accepted the fact that he couldn't rid the world of evil completely, he had to try.

"Here you go, Tony," Rita announced, her cheerful voice chasing away his dark thoughts. "A cup of coffee with four sugars and two hazelnut creamers and a piece of apple pie, fresh out of the oven."

"Thanks, Rita." Tony stuck a folded up bill in her apron.

The waitress pulled out the money and unfolded it to reveal a fifty dollar bill. "Tony, this is too much," Rita insisted.

"I have to catch up from where I was out sick last week."

"Tony, I…"

"No arguments; you can use the extra and get Nick something for his birthday."

Rita leaned down, reciprocating Tony's earlier actions, and placed a delicate kiss on his cheek. He took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze, acknowledging her quiet gratefulness. "Be sure that you tell him happy birthday from me in case I don't get to call him; I have a feeling that work is going to be a little hectic the next couple of days. I sent him a card but I know how campus mail can be, so make sure he got it."

"I can't thank you enough," Rita whispered, wiping at the tears that threatened to fall down her cheeks.

"You don't have to thank me; just keep that pie coming," Tony grinned.

"I'll have you a few pieces ready for when you leave," she promised. "I've got to get back to work."

"Okay."

Tony doctored his coffee and took a sip of the steaming liquid. He tried to ignore the curious stare that he was receiving from the man sitting across from him; Tony resented being placed under the proverbial microscope, especially by this stranger who completely unnerved him. He didn't appreciate being placed under scrutiny; the past few months of everyone watching and knowing his every aspect of his life had left him exhausted both physically and mentally, stripping his self confidence away layer by layer. Internal affairs, Captain Waters, and many of Baltimore's finest had made his life a living hell and he was beginning to wonder if he was going to add Gibbs to that ever growing list.

"Is there a problem, Agent Gibbs?" he finally asked as he took a bite of his pie.

"That was a pretty generous tip," Gibbs observed.

"Rita's a single mom trying to put her son through school; his birthday is Thursday and she barely has enough to get by much less buy him a birthday present," he coolly stated. "I know what it's like to be away from home and feel like you've been forgotten; no boy should ever have to go through that."

"So you regularly give her fifty dollar tips?"

"Why does it matter?"

"It doesn't; it's a nice gesture. You obviously…"

"Can we just drop it?" Tony suggested. "We've got a lot of work to do."

"Sure," Gibbs conceded. "So, what do you have so far?"

Tony handed Gibbs the file that he had accumulated since he had been assigned to the Griffon case. His personal notes and what reports he had been given access to were in the folder; he had done a lot of his own leg work that had resulted in several revelations allowing him to draw his own conclusions about their killer.

"This is everything I've got. I think that our suspect is male, possibly anywhere from 25 to 40, blond hair, approximately 6'4", with some kind of military background. The weapon of choice was a serrated blade, military issue; which he is proficient in using."

"How did you figure all this out?"

"By the direction of the stab wounds; the perp towers above his victims causing the thrusts to be in a downward motion. There was also a long blond hair on Amy Griffon's shirt which didn't belong to any of the other victims; I'm still waiting on the lab results, so technically the blond hair is just a guess, but right now, it's all I've got to go on."

"What can you tell me about the victims?" Gibbs inquired as he continued to read through the file.

"Seems to be random with the only prerequisite that there are only 3 members in the family, husband, wife, and a daughter; a fake tattoo is placed on the arm of the girl, which fits the MO in two murders in the state of Virginia. I've got a friend in the Virginia State Police who's supposed to be faxing me the copies of the reports."

"You haven't received them yet?"

"I was out last week and…" He chastised himself for revealing that tidbit of personal information; Tony certainly didn't want Gibbs to think that he was taking a vacation while he had an active murder investigation going on; his week away from work had been anything but pleasurable as he recovered from an impromptu meeting between his body and the fists that belonged to several close friends of Captain Waters. "I'll check my inbox when I go back to the precinct; I'm sure it's there."

Gibbs leaned back in his chair and took a sip of coffee; Tony had a feeling that the NCIS agent was going to stick his nose in his business once again.

"You don't seem like the kind of guy who would up and take a vacation while you still had an unsolved case," Gibbs stated. "Officer Dayton said that you had been on leave, but didn't say why."

"In case you haven't noticed, Dayton has a big mouth."

"Believe me, I noticed." Gibbs was once again glaring at him with those steely orbs which only served to further irritate him. "Are you going to answer my question?"

"Not that's it any of your business," Tony seethed, "but it wasn't my idea."

"You were placed on leave?" the agent pressed.

"Medical leave." Why was he allowing this Navy cop to get under his skin? He had enough crap to deal with; he certainly didn't need to engage in a less than entertaining game of twenty questions with Jethro Gibbs.

"Can we get back to the case?" He realized that he sounded angry and defensive, but Gibbs was trying to get in his mind and Tony resented anyone who took pleasure in playing mind games.

"Sure."

Tony pulled out another file that contained the pictures of his last crime scene. "You can see the similarities in the wounds between the Griffons and the Milners," he continued. "The tattoo…"

He was interrupted by the ringing of his cell phone. Glancing at the caller ID, he began to silently curse when he recognized Captain Waters' name. "I need to take this," Tony grumbled. "I'll only be a minute."

Pushing himself up out of his chair, he stepped outside to take the dreaded phone call. Waters' had made it his life's purpose to torment him because of Tony's accusations which had put the department under investigation. He knew that he had been right going to Internal Affairs with his findings, but there were days that he was starting to regret that decision.

How was he supposed to find a killer when his own department was thwarting him at every turn? Maybe he should just hand the entire investigation over to Gibbs; the agent seemed capable but that wasn't the problem. He had a deep seated desire to see the murderer brought to justice; he had promised Amy Griffon that day in autopsy that he would find the one responsible for her gruesome death and it was a promise that he intended to keep.

Taking a deep breath, he mentally braced himself for the storm to come. Flipping open his phone, he brusquely answered, "DiNozzo."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Gibbs took a sip of his coffee, his gaze alternating between the file before him and the man standing outside the door talking on the phone. Although he had only met Detective Anthony DiNozzo a few hours ago, he had already arrived at the conclusion that the young man was an enigma. It was obvious that DiNozzo was guarded around him, being careful not to reveal anything too personal; the only time the detective allowed his mask to drop was when he was talking to the waitress.

As if on cue, the lady that Tony had referred to as Rita was at his table, refreshing his coffee. She was an attractive woman whose eyes spoke of a hard life that had been thrust upon her unexpectedly; the fine lines of time that graced her features were a testament of all she had endured.

"Can I get you anything else?" Rita asked.

"Just keep the coffee coming."

"You got it, but I wouldn't wait too long to ask for a piece of apple pie; it's going fast."

"I'll keep that in mind."

Gibbs watched her top off Tony's coffee although it really didn't need it; his ability to read people told him that she wanted to say something to him and was working up the courage to do so. The agent wouldn't push her; he would simply bide his time. Her attention was now focused on Tony, who was still on the phone having a heated discussion with whoever was on the other end.

"Do you know who he's talking to?" she casually inquired.

"No, he didn't say. He just excused himself and took the call."

"I hope everything is all right."

"I'm sure it is."

The silver haired man motioned for Rita to sit down and join him. "Buy you a cup of coffee?"

Rita shook her head. "No, but I am due for a break; I'd love to get off my feet for a few minutes." She extended her hand and introduced herself. "My name is Rita Turman."

Gibbs shook her hand. "Jethro Gibbs."

He was hoping that he had provided her with the opening that she had been searching for and that she would feel free to share what was on her mind; he was certain that the waitress could provide him some valuable insight into the mind of the detective. Fortunately his hunch played out; she was clearly a woman who refused to let an opportunity to pass her by.

"So, are you Tony's new partner?" she wanted to know.

He was taken back by the question; she certainly didn't mince words. "Uh…not exactly. We're sharing jurisdiction on a case; I'm a federal agent for NCIS."

"Oh," Rita sighed. "That's too bad. I think that you're just what Tony needs."

"What do you mean?"

He could sense that she was struggling with how much she should reveal to him, he was after all, a complete stranger. The constant wringing of her hands exacerbated her apparent nervousness. "Tony's last partner ended up taking his own life a few months ago; ever since then, he's been on his own," she began. "It would be nice to know that he had someone watching his back again and believe me, he needs to have someone he can trust."

"Is there something going on that I should know about?" he questioned. Gibbs had already come to the conclusion that DiNozzo was carrying a heavy burden. He recalled the way Officer Dayton had treated the detective and how Tony had forced himself to remain in control. The agent began to wonder if the tension that he observed was just between Tony and Dayton or if it extended farther into the precinct.

"I don't know a lot about what's been going on with Tony at work but I do know that he didn't have the flu last week; he was in pain and I noticed some bruises on his upper arm. He still thinks I believe that he was sick."

Gibbs sat back in his chair, contemplating the waitress's words. "Does he ever give you a hint about what's happening at work?"

Rita shook her head. "No, he's as tight lipped as a clam. He's a good man and I can't shake the feeling that he's in some serious trouble. I'm not sure why I'm telling you this; I guess you just have one of those faces that make it easy for people to trust you. Please help him," she pleaded.

"I'm not sure what I can do," Gibbs replied. "I doubt he's going to tell me…"

"I think you might be surprised, Agent Gibbs; once Tony's convinced that he can trust you, I think he'll open up to you," Rita pointed out. "I do know that if something doesn't give soon, that he's going to end up hurt or worse and I don't want to see that happen."

Gibbs shook his head. "I don't…"

"Please just think about what I've said; he needs someone in his corner. He would be so mad at me if he knew that I had said anything to you; Tony's a very private person and he keeps his pain private as well. I just can't stand by and watch him continue on this path; I had to do something."

Before he could answer her, Rita stood up, picked up her carafe of coffee and pushed in her seat. "I've got to get back to work; thank you for listening. You know I consider myself to be a pretty good judge of character and I think that you're a man of integrity and fairness; don't disappoint me, Agent Gibbs."

He was left alone to contemplate her revelations and Gibbs was still uncertain what she expected him to do; if DiNozzo refused to tell him what was going on, then he couldn't help the detective. Gibbs found himself staring out the window at DiNozzo, who had just ended his conversation and was raking his hand through his hair as frustration radiated from him. Something was definitely weighing on the young man and it was about to take him under.

When Gibbs saw that Tony was coming back inside, he quickly averted his eyes back to the file he had been reading before his discussion with Rita. DiNozzo made his way over to the table and sat back down, his gaze was teeming with anger.

"Everything okay?" Gibbs asked.

Tony scrubbed his face and took a drink of his coffee. "Yeah, everything's just frickin' fine."

There was no mistaking the bitter venom dripping from Tony's lips. "Anything I can do?"

The detective shook his head. "No. Listen, can we do this a little later? I've got something I have to do."

"Sure."

"Are you staying in Baltimore or going back home?"

"Going home." Gibbs took a napkin and wrote down his address. He handed it to the detective who looked at it and promptly tucked it in his pocket. "How about eight tonight? It'll give me a chance to go over these files some more."

"Sounds good. I'll bring those other reports and hopefully the lab report as well."

"Don't be late this time," he warned.

"Trust me Gibbs, being late is the least of my problems. I'll see you later."

He watched Tony make his way towards the door, stopping long enough to pick up the to-go bag that Rita had fixed for him. Gibbs saw her lean over the counter and whisper something to DiNozzo, but he couldn't make out what she had said to him. Tony graced her with a tired grin and a wink as he turned to leave.

There was definitely something going on and whatever it was, Anthony DiNozzo was in over his head. Gibbs reached in his pocket and pulled out his cell phone; he dialed a familiar number and waited for his colleague to answer. "Hey, Pacci; I need a favor. I need you to pull a file on a Detective Anthony DiNozzo, Baltimore PD."

"Isn't that the guy you're working with on the Milner case?" Pacci asked.

"Yep. Drop it off at my house; the door's unlocked."

Gibbs hung up, his eyes meeting the worried gaze of Rita. With a slight nod, he gathered up the files and his coffee, hoping that she understood that he was going to do his best to figure out what was going on with DiNozzo. Leaving a generous tip on the table, he left the coffee shop and headed to his car.

As he started the engine and drove off, his thoughts were consumed not by the case, but by one brash detective who seemed to be a magnet for trouble. Gibbs knew that he couldn't afford to be distracted; he had a case to solve and he owed it to the Milner family to obtain justice for them. However, there was something about Tony DiNozzo that he couldn't put his finger on; only time would reveal what the detective was hiding. Maybe it was time to do a little digging on his own.

**I am so overwhelmed by the reviews, alerts, and favorite responses! I'm so blessed to have such wonderful readers and I hope you enjoyed this post! I hope everyone has a safe and happy 4****th****! See you all next week with some more updates!**


	3. Chapter 3

Part 3

Tony sat outside the precinct in his car, trying to summon the courage to walk back into the den of lions that were waiting to devour him. He had reported to work earlier that morning and had almost immediately been dispatched to the Milner homicide; it wasn't how he wanted to start the day but at least he had managed to avoid the slurs and the thinly veiled threats that the other detectives hurled at him every time he walked through the doors. Of course, that was about to change as soon as he entered the police station, but his colleagues would never know how much their words truly hurt; Tony would simply slip on that mask that he wore so well, hiding the pain that he buried deep inside of him.

When Waters had called him and demanded to see him, Tony's first instinct was to simply hang up on the man; the Captain had made his life unbearable the past few months and had taken a perverse pleasure in doing so. Tony hit the steering wheel in frustration; he knew he shouldn't let Waters get under his skin, but dirty cops had a tendency to do just that.

Realizing that he couldn't put off the confrontation any longer, Tony got out of his car and headed towards the entrance of the station. He schooled his features as he mentally braced himself for the assault of daggers that would be fired his way as soon as he set foot in the bullpen.

He walked through the door and started to make his way towards the Captain's office, stopping at his desk long enough to see if the fax that he had been waiting for were in his inbox. Tony tried to ignore the stares of the other detectives as they followed his every move; the hatred in their eyes reflected the hatred in their hearts.

Tony continued to flip through his papers, his irritation growing every second as he searched in vain for the copies of the reports that he'd been promised. Coming up empty handed, he raked his hands through his hair, his disgusted gaze briefly resting on each man in the room. "I don't suppose any one has seen the fax that I was supposed to get from the Virginia State Police," Tony surmised.

The detective's query was met with silence. "It pertains to my current murder investigation and I'm sure that if someone picked them up off my desk, it was a simple mistake," he continued, sarcasm dripping from his voice. It angered him beyond words that someone in the division would interfere with an investigation just because it had been assigned to him; the Griffon and Milner familes deserved better than to be caught in the middle of a departmental war.

"Look guys, just because you're pissed at me doesn't mean that you can interfere with my cases! I've got to go and see and Waters and by the time I get back, those papers better be on my desk or I'm going to start tearing this place apart and I swear that whoever is responsible…" Tony clenched his fist as he abruptly stopped his tirade; the last thing he needed to be doing was making threats against his fellow officers because there wasn't a doubt in his mind that the repercussions would come back on him.

He took a deep breath and blew it out. "Just get it back on my desk before I leave."

"Or what?"

Tony visibly bristled as Detective Cal Jackson spoke up, purposefully challenging him in front of the other officers. He was sure that Jackson was one of Waters' henchmen that had been responsible for his last hospital visit and subsequent forced vacation, but he didn't have concrete proof.

"You don't want to know. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm supposed to be meeting with the Captain." He didn't want to walk away but Tony knew if he didn't, that he would end up doing something he would regret.

"You talk a lot but you don't say much, do you DiNozzo? Wait a minute, let me rephrase that; you talk a lot but just to the wrong people," Jackson corrected.

_Play it cool, DiNozzo; play it cool. _Tony kept repeating the mantra over and over, resisting the urge to take a swing at the other detective. The desire to walk out the door and never look back was strong, but he had a responsibility to the Griffon and Milner family; he had to see their killer behind bars and then he could consider his future. Tony figured that after Internal Affairs completed their investigation, that his days as a homicide detective for the Baltimore Police Department were over; not because of anything he had done, but because of all that he had uncovered and turned over to IA.

Electing to reciprocate their earlier actions, Tony chose to remain silent as he headed towards the Captain's office. He shoved the officers continuous barbs to the back of mind, knowing that he needed a clear head when he talked to Waters; the man was infamous for trying to twist his words and using them against him. The Captain thrived on power and those whom he didn't have control over were the ones who suffered; a fact that his former partner could testify to if he were alive today.

He knocked on the door and waited for the gruff voice to acknowledge his presence. Upon receiving the curt invitation, he entered the Captain's office and stood patiently before the older man's desk, waiting for Waters to make the first move.

"Detective DiNozzo," Waters finally greeted.

"Captain."

"How's your case coming? Everything going well with NCIS?"

Tony stood tall, silently wishing that the man would quit beating around the bush. "It's fine. Agent Gibbs seems to be very capable," he informed the Captain.

"That's good," Waters stated. "So your day has been going well?"

"As well as can be expected."

"That's good, Detective DiNozzo, because my day hasn't been so good."

"Sorry to hear that," Tony lied. Truthfully, the man deserved to spend his days rotting in jail, especially after what he did to Drew.

"Do you want to know why I've had a bad day?" Waters coolly inquired.

"I suppose you're going to tell me."

"That's very perceptive of you, Detective DiNozzo; those instincts of yours must be working overtime today."

"Look, Captain; I've got a case to get back to and I'm wasting time standing here going back and forth with you. Either you say what you've got to say or I'm walking," he warned, his lack of respect for the man exacerbating his insubordination.

"Sit down, Detective," the Captain insisted.

"I prefer to stand."

"Have it your way."

The Captain pulled out a thick file and Tony knew beyond a shadow of doubt that Waters was holding his personal file in his grubby hand. Waters opened it and pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to him; Tony knew what it was without having to look at it.

"It's a reprimand for the fight you got into last week," Waters explained.

Tony quickly read and handed it back to the Captain. "I'm not signing it," he declared. "You've got your story wrong; I didn't provoke those officers and I didn't throw the first punch."

"I've got three statements from highly decorated officers stating otherwise. I suggest you sign it and return in to me so I can add it to the mounting collection of reprimands in your record. By the time all this is over, you won't be working in Baltimore or any other police force in the country; nobody wants a troublemaker, DiNozzo."

Tony crossed his arms, firmly standing his ground. "You didn't call me in here to tell me about another reprimand; half those reprimands in my file you put in there without my knowledge, so there has to be something else you want. What is it?"

"You're right," Waters conceded.

He studied the arrogant man before him as he leaned back in his chair. Tony hated Waters with every fiber of his being and in his mind, there could be no redemption for someone like the Captain, whose moral standards were completely nonexistent.

"I got a call from IA this morning and they want to talk to me…_again._ It seems that some new evidence has come to their attention; they are hinting at the fact that I possibly was influential in causing your partner to put a gun in his mouth and blow out his brains," the Captain seethed.

"Really?" Tony wasn't surprised; he was actually relieved that Internal Affairs had found the evidence condemning enough to warrant another interview with the Captain.

"Apparently you gave them access to Detective Grayson's journal."

"I found it in his personal belongings; you insisted that I clean out his desk," Tony reminded him. "Besides, it provided some interesting reading while I was recuperating at home."

Waters slammed his fist on his desk and stood up, towering over Tony by a couple of inches; unfortunately for the Captain, he had long ago ceased being intimidated by the older man. "You bastard! I didn't pull the trigger!"

"But you might as well have!"

"Your partner was dirty and…"

"He wanted out and you wanted him to be your scapegoat!" he roared, not caring who heard him. "Drew wanted out and you wouldn't let him; he begged you to let him out of your good old boys society but you were so afraid that he would go to IA that you planted the evidence in his locker so it would all come back on him!

"You knew his dad was a retired cop and that he thought Drew could walk on water. You got him suspended and the shame that he brought on his dad's name was too much for him to handle and he killed himself. You destroyed him bit by bit and Drew wrote down everything; now, you're going to have to answer for what you did to him," Tony vowed.

Tony's hate-filled gaze followed Waters as he circled around to the front of his desk; they were now toe to toe and truthfully, the detective wouldn't have minded if they had come to blows except for the fact that he couldn't afford another suspension. There wasn't a doubt in his mind that his life was about to become even more difficult than it already was and with no one to watch his back, things could definitely get interesting.

"You're going to ruin a lot of innocent lives if you continue to pursue this," the Captain advised him. "Your vendetta is going to result in your demise."

"I believe that constitutes a threat, Captain."

"Take it however you want to; you better watch your six because nobody in this department is going to do it."

"Are we done?" Tony asked, wanting desperately to get back to his case.

"We're done," Waters replied. "For now. You better get back to work; it'd be a shame to make a bad impression on your friend, the Navy cop."

As Tony turned to leave, Waters grabbed his arm. "By the way, I hear congratulations are in order, Agent DiNozzo; I'm sure you and Wendy will make a lovely couple, assuming you both make it to the altar."

Tony paled at the mention of his fiancée's name. Waters had now raised the stakes by threatening the woman that he loved; Wendy had been his source of strength throughout this nightmare that had encompassed his life. Pulling his arm free, Tony grabbed the Captain and shoved him against the wall, his arm pressing against the Captain's throat as a feral growl escaped his lips.

"You lay a hand on her and you won't need to meet with IA; you'll be lying on a slab down in the morgue."

Lieutenant Morgan and several other detectives came bursting into Waters' office and pulled Tony off of the Captain. "Captain, are you all right?" Morgan inquired.

"I'm fine," the Captain answered. "I believe you have work to do, Detective DiNozzo."

The officers holding Tony released him upon Waters' silent order. Tony turned to leave, refusing to meet the Captain's malicious grin; he had more pressing things to tend to such as making sure that his fiancée was all right.

Wendy had been asked to tour with the Metro symphony and he had been the one to encourage her to go; because of her schedule, she had not been subjected to all the drama that had unfolded but she had been his rock through it all. Wendy respected his work and wouldn't press him but when Drew died, she had immediately flown back and he had told her of his suspicions and she had promised him her unconditional support.

It had taken a lot of smooth talking to convince her to return to the tour and at his insistence, she had finally relented. There were many nights that he wished that he hadn't been so selfless so that he could feel the silkiness of her skin against his, but he would not deny Wendy her dream and he truly could rest better knowing that she was staying clear of the mess that he had created. They would have an eternity to spend together and he was not about to let anyone shatter the foundation that they had forged from their love.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Locating Officer Dayton had not been difficult; Gibbs had called dispatch under the guise of needing to question him about the crime scene and had discovered that Dayton was off duty but frequented a bar just around the corner from the precinct. The agent walked through the door of _The 10-20, _an establishment that whose main clientele were cops, both active and retired. He immediately spotted the officer he was looking for at the bar, trying to pick up a woman who looked to be several years his junior.

A mischievous grin danced upon his lips as he called out to the officer. "Will! It's good to see you man! How's Trix doing? How long have you two been married now?"

Gibbs' smile grew wider as Dayton's young female companion now looked at him with disgust. "You're married?" the girl demanded to know.

"No!" Dayton protested. "I'm not married! I just met this guy this morning at a crime scene and…"

"That's a likely story!" she seethed. "You better go on home to Trix!"

Gibbs ordered a coffee as the scorned woman stormed away. He could feel Dayton's glare shooting daggers at his back as he took a sip of the hot liquid; Gibbs wondered if the officer really thought that he could intimidate him with a look.

"I suppose you think that was pretty funny, huh, Gibbs?"

"Yeah, I kinda do," he replied. "She was too young for you anyway."

"I don't think it's any of your business."

"Suit yourself."

Dayton gulped down the rest of his drink. "What do you want, Gibbs?"

"I've got a couple of questions I need answers to."

"This couldn't have waited until tomorrow?"

Gibbs shook his head. "Nope. I'm not a patient man."

"I would've never guessed," Dayton shot back. "So what is it you want to know?"

Setting down his coffee cup, he perched on a bar stool, making himself as comfortable as possible; he was hoping that he and Dayton were going to have to have a long conversation. Dayton seemed to be the kind of man who didn't know when to shut up and liked to brag on his conquests.

"Detective DiNozzo," he began. "You seem rather…hostile towards him. Why?"

"Why don't you ask him?" Dayton retorted.

"I'm asking you."

"I'm not allowed to discuss it."

Gibbs shook his head, motioning for the bartender to bring Dayton another drink. "Let's cut the crap, Dayton. You may not be allowed to discuss it, but it sure doesn't keep you from running your mouth."

"DiNozzo deserves every bad word said about him. He's trying to take down some good cops and we can't let that happen."

The agent visibly tensed. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Dayton paled as he evidently realized what he had just revealed; he had all but admitted that there was bad blood between DiNozzo and certain members of the police force. Gibbs had a feeling that something was going on and although he didn't know the details yet, it was obvious that DiNozzo had made quite a few enemies; no wonder the detective looked like a mile of bad road. Having to constantly look over your shoulder while trying to do your job was difficult enough and it was evident to the agent that some members of Baltimore Police Department were determined to make Anthony DiNozzo's life a living hell.

"I asked you a question, Officer Dayton," Gibbs reiterated. "What did you mean when you said we can't let that happen?"

"Nothing," Dayton hastily answered.

"It's probably not in your best interest to lie to me," the Marine warned.

"Are you threatening me, Agent Gibbs?"

"I don't make threats, only promises."

"This doesn't involve you, Gibbs; you're getting in the middle of something that you don't understand."

"I think I have a pretty good grasp on it," Gibbs declared. "DiNozzo is trying to right a wrong and you and some of your buddies are taking matters in your own hands. As a matter a fact, I'm willing to bet that the week of leave that he just took wasn't his choice; did you and your cohorts rough him up a little, trying to get him to back off?"

"I think we're done here," Dayton growled. "If you want to know anything else, maybe you should talk to my Captain."

"I'll do that," he vowed.

Gibbs called out to Dayton as he turned to leave. "As long as I'm working on this case with Detective DiNozzo, I have his back; be sure you and your friends remember that."

As the officer left the bar, Gibbs took a final sip of his coffee and glanced at his watch. He needed to head back to home so he could get ready for DiNozzo's arrival. Gibbs had already determined that he was going to get the Detective's side of things before he went and talked to the Captain. Although he didn't know DiNozzo well, there was no doubt that the man had integrity and an innate sense of right and wrong; Gibbs admired those traits and was anxious to discover what made Detective Tony DiNozzo tick.

He made his way to his car, deciding that maybe tonight he would fix steaks, cowboy style and break out the good beer. Maybe DiNozzo would let down his guard and trust him enough to tell him what was going on; then again, if he were the detective, he doubted that trust would come with a steak and a beer. Gibbs realized that he definitely had his work cut out for him.

**As always, I'm humbled and honored by the overwhelming response to this story. I'm so blessed to have such wonderful readers. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart and I hope you enjoyed this post as well! **


	4. Chapter 4

**Part 4**

"Wendy, hey babe; I need you to call me when you get this message. I know this is the fifth one I've left but I…I really need to hear your voice."

Detective Tony DiNozzo snapped shut his cell phone and tossed it in the seat next to him. He had been trying to get a hold of Wendy to make sure that she was all right, but she wasn't answering her cell phone or the phone in her hotel room. The threat that had been made against his fiancée had unnerved him just as Captain Waters knew it would; although Wendy was on the other side of the United States at the moment, that didn't stop him from worrying about her. He had a feeling that Waters could get to her no matter where she was.

The last thing he wanted was for Wendy to suffer the consequences of his actions. By doing what he knew to be right, he had placed the one person that he loved more than anyone in the world in mortal danger; if anything happened to Wendy, Tony would never be able to forgive himself. She was the light in the darkness that had become his life and the thought of that flame being snuffed out was too much for him to bear.

As he pulled up in front of Agent Gibbs' house, he grabbed his phone and tried Wendy's number one more time in hopes that she would answer, but he was put through to her voice mail once again. Getting out of the car, he slipped his phone in the pocket of his jeans and made his way to the front door. Tony had to admit that he never pictured the agent living in such a quaint, family oriented neighborhood, but he had already figured out that the older man was full of surprises.

He knocked on the door but there was no answer. Almost on reflex he reached for the doorknob and found the door to be unlocked; shrugging off his uncertainty, he entered into the house. Tony was greeted by the sight of Gibbs kneeling before his fireplace cooking what appeared to be a large mouthwatering steak; his growling stomach began to remind him that the piece of pie that he had consumed earlier was beginning to wear off and that it had been a long time since he ate anything substantial.

"I uh…knocked but you didn't answer," Tony stated.

"Didn't need to; the door was unlocked."

"You always leave your door unlocked?"

"Yep."

Tony closed the door behind him, wondering if Gibbs was actually that trusting of his fellow man or if it was just a fact of life that he didn't lock his door. The detective wondered if he should consider keeping his door unlocked; it would certainly save him from having to replace the locks every time Waters' men decided to call on him.

"You just gonna stand there or are you going to come on over here so we can eat?" Gibbs inquired as he stood up and made his way over to the couch.

Uncertainty clouded the detective's eyes as Gibbs set the plate down and then opened the two beers that were already adorning the coffee table. Tony walked over to the couch and took the proffered beer as he sat down. "I…uh…wasn't really expecting dinner."

"A man's got to eat."

He set his files down and watched as Gibbs took his knife and cut the steak down the center; the Marine slapped down half the steak on Tony's plate and then proceeded to cut his own meat. Tony stared at his steak and then shifted his gaze back to the agent. "You uh…got another knife?" Tony inquired.

"Rule nine," Gibbs replied in between bites.

"Rule nine?"

"Never go anywhere without a knife."

"Do you just make up these rules or what?"

Gibbs grinned at him, nodding towards what Tony assumed to be the kitchen. "Steak knives are in the drawer under the microwave."

"Thanks."

Tony rose from his seat and retrieved a knife from the other room; resituating himself on the couch, he began to eat his dinner, savoring every bite. "You're a pretty decent cook, Gibbs," he declared. "Or else I'm just really hungry."

"Could be both."

"Could be," Tony agreed.

The ringing of his cell phone interrupted their small talk; he could only hope that Wendy was finally returning his call. Tony reached in his pocket and pulled out his phone; glancing at the caller ID, he breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of his fiancée's name. "I really need to take this," Tony explained.

Gibbs shrugged as he took a drink of his beer. "So take it."

"Thanks. I'll only be a minute."

"I'm not going anywhere."

Tony answered his phone, simultaneously making his way towards the foyer until he was out of earshot of the NCIS agent. "Hey, Babe."

"Hey yourself," Wendy answered. "I just got your messages; I've been in rehearsal. Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," he reassured her. "I just needed to hear your voice."

"Tony, what's wrong?"

He wished he could take Wendy in his arms and tell her everything about the sordid mess that he had created for himself; although she knew a lot of what was going on, there were still things that she didn't know and would never know. Tony wanted to desperately keep her safe and at the moment, he felt helpless to do so. "I can't go into a whole lot of detail right now, but I need to you be extra careful; I'm afraid that something's going to happen to you because Waters is after me."

"Tony, I'm all the way across the country," she protested. "I should be fine."

"I don't want you to take any chances; I have a feeling that if he wants to, that Waters will find a way to get to you. I…I can't lose you."

"You won't."

"Maybe you should come back home." If he had his way, Wendy would be on the next flight home but she was fiercely independent and he would never do anything to crush that unique spirit that had endeared her to him; but he was scared for her and his fear was doing the talking at the moment.

"I can't; I'm doing the piano solo for the next week. I'm probably safer out here anyway," Wendy pointed out. "I'm going to be fine."

"Wendy, please," he pleaded. He realized that she wouldn't necessarily be safer back in Baltimore but he could at least keep an eye on her and protect her; if only he could convince her it was for the best. "If something happens to you…"

"Nothing is going to happen to me."

He wished he could believe her; he couldn't shake the feeling in his gut that something was going to happen. Tony knew that he had fallen in love with a strong and self sufficient woman who would not be deterred once her mind was made up and he wouldn't have her any other way. She had every right to pursue her dream and he had no right to tell her that she couldn't; he was going to have to take her at her word "Promise me you'll be careful?"

"I promise."

Tony pressed his forehead against the wall. "I miss you."

"I miss you too. I'll be home next week; we have a two week break before we head out again," she informed him.

The knowledge that she would be home soon soothed his frazzled nerves; at least if she was home, he could keep a better eye on her. "I can't wait to see you."

"I can't wait either; we've got some catching up to do," she teased.

Tony smiled as he envisioned the two of them wrapped in each other's arms, providing one another with unconditional love and support as they made love over and over. "I definitely can't wait for that."

"Me either. Listen, I've got to go and get ready, but I'll call you after the concert," she vowed.

"I'll be waiting and please be careful."

"I will."

"I love you."

"Love you too."

Tony ended his call and rejoined Gibbs in the living room. "Sorry about that," he apologized, sitting down to resume his meal.

"Work?" Gibbs asked.

"Not exactly; I was talking to my fiancée."

"So you're getting married. When's the big day?"

"I don't know; we haven't set a date," he admitted.

"Probably a good idea not to rush into anything," the agent conceded. "Marriage is a big step; it shouldn't be taken lightly.

"How about you, Gibbs?" Tony asked. "Are you married?"

"Nope. Divorced twice, third one is pending."

Tony shook his head in amusement. "Don't be offended if I don't seek you out for any marital advice I may need down the road."

"No offense taken."

The two men finished their meal in companionable silence, each appreciating the easy rapport that seemed to exist between them. Tony found himself relaxing in the presence of the NCIS agent, which was something that he usually didn't do when he was working; he had learned the hard way that he had to be constantly looking over his shoulder, knowing that there was no one that he could trust.

It was Gibbs who finally broke the silence when he stood up and began to gather the dishes. "Did you get enough to eat?" the older man asked.

"Yeah," Tony replied. "Thanks again for supper."

"No problem. Let me put these dishes in the sink and we'll get to work."

"Sounds good."

Tony picked up his files and followed Gibbs into the kitchen. "So Gibbs, tell me something. How've you managed to go through three divorces and keep your house?"

"None of my ex's could figure out how to get the boat out of the basement so they didn't want the house."

The detective stared at the graying agent in disbelief. "You have a boat in your basement?" Gibbs was definitely an enigma who kept his emotional distance from others, something that Tony could definitely relate to; however, there was something about the older man that put him at ease and that in itself made him nervous.

"Yep; it's almost done," Gibbs boasted. "Want to see it?"

"Sure."

One of these days his innate curiosity was going to get him in trouble but the prospect of seeing a boat in basement was an opportunity he didn't want to pass up. He followed Gibbs down the basement stairs; the smell of sawdust hung in the air, the scent growing stronger with each step they descended. When he reached the bottom step, he smiled at the sight of the boat taking up half of Gibbs' basement.

He ran his hand over the wood, admiring the craftsmanship of the boat; it was obvious that Gibbs took a lot of pride in his work. "This is uh…it's beautiful. How long have you been working on it?"

"A while. There's something about working with your hands that tends to put life in perspective; it helps me to get away from the stress of the job."

"It must be nice to be able to get away from it all," Tony mumbled, not intending for Gibbs to hear his caustic comment.

"Problems at work?" Gibbs asked.

Tony nervously cleared his throat as he wondered if Gibbs had supersonic hearing; for some reason, he wouldn't be surprised if he did. "Uh…no," he answered a bit too quickly. "Work's great."

"That's not the impression I've been getting."

"Well, I mean every department has its problems; I'm sure even NCIS has it problems."

"I'm sure it does," Gibbs agreed.

He watched Gibbs empty out two small jars and pull out a bottle of bourbon. After the agent filled the glasses, Tony reluctantly took one and sat down on the nearest stool. He was uncomfortable with the sudden interest that Gibbs had taken in his work situation; they were only supposed to collaborate on a murder investigation and nothing else and Tony was determined to keep it that way. The detective could not afford to have someone else involved in the nightmare that his life had become.

Taking a sip of the liquor, he handed Gibbs the rest of the information that he had managed to collect. "Here's all I have; I thought that if we compare…"

"Did you get the fax you were looking for?" Gibbs asked as he took the folder from him.

"Uh…no, I must have misplaced it. I'll call in the morning and have the State Police fax it again." He wasn't sure why he was accepting blame for the actions of his colleagues; he had to keep Gibbs' suspicions at bay and if he had to tell a little white lie to do so, he would do it without regret.

The NCIS agent shook his head. "I doubt that you misplaced it; that's not your style."

Tony drained his glass and slammed it down on the workbench. Anger and frustration had become his constant companions and usually he kept those emotions buried deep; his feelings had been used against him so often that he kept them guarded but there was something about Gibbs' prying ways that unleashed the rage that had been churning all day.

"You don't even know me!" he roared. "I could be the most irresponsible and selfish person you've ever met! You don't know my style and you don't know how I operate; you may have gotten stuck with the worst detective Baltimore PD has, so you might want to reserve your judgment until after this case."

Gibbs calmly took a sip of his own drink, purposefully ignoring his outburst. "If something is going on internally that might affect the outcome of this investigation, I need to know about it."

Although he knew that Gibbs was right, he would not allow the well-meaning agent to get involved in his personal battle; Tony had learned as a child that the only person he could depend on was himself and it was a lesson that had stayed with him throughout his entire life. There were only a couple of people who had earned his complete trust and it had taken him a long time to accept them into his confidence; he wanted to trust Gibbs but he wasn't totally convinced that he could place his faith in the agent.

"I can handle it," Tony declared.

"Are you sure about that?"

Tony met Gibbs' question with silence. Why couldn't this man just leave him alone to deal with his own mess?

"I spoke with Officer Dayton," Gibbs calmly stated.

Tony's eyes narrowed. What kind of game was Gibbs playing? "Officer Dayton?" he growled. "Why?"

"I was playing a hunch."

"A hunch? Does this hunch have a name and work in a coffee shop?" Tony pressed. He should have never left Rita alone with Gibbs; she was always worrying about him and after Drew's death, her concern for him had magnified.

"She might have mentioned a thing or two but I've also got eyes; it's pretty obvious that Dayton has some kind of grudge against you."

Tony's cell phone began to ring and with a quick glance at the caller ID, he dismissed the call. About this time every night, the phone calls always started as did the mind games; Tony couldn't help but wonder if the officers who tormented him would ever grow tired of amusing themselves at his expense. The sound of his phone ringing once again provided him with the answer he sought. Disgusted, Tony put his phone on silent and slipped it back in his pocket.

"Aren't you going to answer that?" Gibbs asked.

"No, it's not important."

Tony could feel the muscles in his body tense as Gibbs walked over towards him; the frustration in the older man's eyes matched his own. "How long has it been going on?" the agent wanted to know as he poured Tony another drink in his glass

"Gibbs, I appreciate what you're trying to do but the best thing you can do is to stay out of it."

"It seems to me that you need all the help you can get," Gibbs observed.

"What exactly did Dayton tell you?"

"Not much; but he made it pretty clear that you've made quite a few enemies in the department."

"That's an understatement," Tony snorted.

"He also suggested I talked with Captain Waters."

"I can't stop you." Tony knew that Waters had almost everyone in the precinct on his side and that he would more than likely make sure that Gibbs knew all of his shortcomings; the agent would definitely have some interesting reading if the Captain happened to give Gibbs his personnel record.

"I'm really not interested in what Captain Waters has to say; I want to hear the truth."

Tony raked his hands through his hair. "What makes you think I'm telling the truth?"

"Let's just say that I'm a good judge of character."

He couldn't understand why Gibbs had taken such an interest in him and his personal war that he had waged against Captain Waters and the Baltimore Police Department. Tony had only known this man standing before him for one day and yet he was ready to take up his cause. Could the Navy cop actually help him? Maybe it was time to find out if he could trust Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Wendy glanced at her watch as she walked out of the concert hall towards her car. She should have called Tony about thirty minutes ago but the musician had ended up staying later than usual to talk with some young teenage musicians who had been out in the audience; as a teacher and a performer, Wendy was always ready to share her passion with others. Tony would normally understand if she was late calling him but she wasn't sure about tonight; he'd been edgy and there had been no mistaking the concern and fear in his voice.

When he had called and told her that Waters threatened her, she had easily dismissed the thought; Tony had always been protective of her and she figured that this time was no different. Throughout the concert, her mind had not been on her music but on the fear that she could sense was consuming her fiancé; maybe she should fly back home so he would have one less thing to worry about.

She pulled out her cell phone and hit the speed dial that held Tony's number. Her call automatically went to his voice mail and so she decided to leave him a message; she had a feeling that he had probably become engrossed in his latest case or something to that nature. Tony was also working on trying to clear his partner's name and lately, that task had almost become an unhealthy obsession; she knew that he was getting closer to the truth and that knowledge continued to drive Tony's desire to expose those responsible for Drew's death.

"Hey Tony; I'm sorry I'm so late calling you," she began. "I know you're worried about me, but I'm fine. I want you to take care of yourself and don't push yourself too hard; you better have a lot of energy when I come home, which might be earlier than I planned. We'll talk about it later. I love you and I'll try and call you again before I go to bed."

Wendy opened her car and slid in behind the wheel. As she closed the door, she placed the key in the ignition, started the car and pulled out on the road that she took to her hotel. Coasting to stop at the stop sign, she answered her ringing phone, thinking that Tony was calling her back.

"Hey," she happily greeted, ignoring the car that pulled up beside her.

When she didn't receive and answer, she pulled the phone away and looked at the caller ID. "Private number," she mumbled. "Who in the world…"

She never finished her thoughts as gunfire erupted around her, plunging her into a world of darkness.

**Okay, so I know that wasn't a nice way to leave it but I promise that I'll have the next chapter ready to post when I get back. I can get a lot of typing done on the way to the beach and on the way back (it's a 5 or 6 hour drive). Anyway, thank you all for your continued support and encouragement regarding this story. I'm not sure if I'll get a chapter of Long Road Home up before I leave, but I will try. Again, thank you all so much for being such wonderful and loyal readers.**


	5. Chapter 5

Part 5

Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs studied the man sitting beside him as the detective waged an internal battle deciding whether or not the NCIS agent could be trusted. It was obvious that Anthony DiNozzo desperately needed someone to help carry the burden that was weighing him down, but for someone like DiNozzo, trust did not come easy. Tony was wary of almost everyone around him and Gibbs had a feeling that he had a good reason to be; the younger man was apparently prepared to take on the Baltimore Police Department with or without help from those colleagues that he should have been able to call friend.

From what little Gibbs had been able to gather, whatever DiNozzo had unearthed was causing a lot of tension within the ranks. Although he had only known Tony for a day, he knew that this was a man who didn't make accusations without proof and Gibbs was definitely interested in what DiNozzo had to say.

"I know what it's like to think that there's no one you can trust," Gibbs began, hoping that he could convince DiNozzo to start opening up to him.

"I spend most of my days and nights looking over my shoulder," Tony quietly admitted. "I pretty much know that aside from Wendy, there's no one I can trust. Most of my so called friends are either too angry or too afraid to have anything to do with me; I guess it's easier to make me look like the bad guy rather than believe a respected police captain would be corrupt."

"People tend to believe what they want to," the agent pointed out.

"Tell me about it."

Gibbs poured the both of them another drink as Tony continued to tell his story. He wasn't sure how much DiNozzo was going to divulge, but as long as the detective was willing to talk, he was willing to listen.

"Thanks," Tony said, taking a sip of his drink. "Good bourbon."

"Not much use for the cheap stuff."

"I guess not."

"As my father always says, you can't skimp on liquor or style; needless to say, I'm a bit of disappointment to him."

Gibbs had a feeling that DiNozzo's relationship with his father was strained at best; something else that they seemed to have in common. That discussion would probably warrant another steak and a lot more bourbon. "So, why do you think Waters is dirty?" he inquired, purposefully changing the subject to avoid the possibilities of any more personal revelations.

The detective shook his head and sighed in defeat. "It's a long story, Gibbs."

"I've got time."

Tony was still reluctant to talk but Gibbs' persistence was starting to wear the detective down and that combined with the effects of the liquor was beginning to loosen the dark haired man's tongue.

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Tony blew out a slow breath. "Several months ago, my partner came to me; he was in over his head and was sinking fast," he recalled. "It seems that Drew and some others were supplementing their income by being on David Marcotti's payroll. Marcotti's a real dirtbag; he's got his hand in everything including drug trafficking, money laundering, and prostitution.

"Drew and I arrested him once on suspicion of murder and he was free within six hours; I was furious but Drew…Drew was complacent about the whole thing. He kept telling me to forget about it, that there were bigger fish to fry. I started wondering why he suddenly had a change of heart and he told me to mind my own business; but I couldn't do that and one day, I overheard him and Captain Waters arguing in the locker room. Drew wanted out because I was becoming too suspicious but Waters wouldn't let him; he came to my house that night and told me everything that had been going on.

"I told him that we'd go after Waters but he was afraid; Waters had threatened his wife and newborn son and it took some convincing but he was prepared to go to IA with everything. Before he could meet with the investigators, evidence of Drew's involvement was planted in his locker and he was suspended. Then a couple of nights later, I got a call from Drew's wife, Cindy; Drew had supposedly killed himself with his own gun."

"But you have your doubts," Gibbs stated.

"Yeah. I just don't think he'd do that to his family; his dad was a retired cop and Drew was always worried about tarnishing the family name. I think Waters figured out that Drew was going to IA but he didn't count on me being privy to certain information. That's when I decided to go to IA with what Drew had told me; I didn't have all the proof I needed at the time but it was enough to warrant an investigation. I wanted to clear Drew's name; I _needed _to clear Drew's name, if for nothing else so Cindy and the baby can receive his life insurance. I owe him that much."

"What about Marcotti? Do you think he's involved in your partner's death?"

"I don't know. I don't think he was directly involved but Waters and his cronies are another story; believe me, I know from first hand experience how those guys operate."

"I'm guessing that they were the reason for your unscheduled vacation last week," Gibbs mused.

"Yep. I was coming home from work one night and they ambushed me in the parking lot of my apartment building. I never could see their faces, but I recognized their voices. By the time I regained consciousness, I was in the hospital with a concussion, busted ribs and a bruised kidney; it was a couple of days before I was able to get up and move around but I knew that I couldn't let Waters think that he had won. I came back today because of the murder case I was working and the rest is history."

Gibbs had a feeling that there were some details that DiNozzo had omitted but for the moment, he wouldn't press the issue. Tony's willingness to divulge the secrets that he had held so close to his vest spoke of a trust that was quickly developing between the two men. "What's your next move?" he wanted to know.

Tony shrugged and took another drink of his bourbon. "Right now, I'm waiting on IA. I found Drew's journal when I was cleaning out his desk and I held onto it for a few weeks until I could figure out where this investigation was headed; I handed them Drew's journal this morning and hopefully that will be another nail in Waters' coffin."

"Is it worth it?"

"What?"

"Is everything that you've been going through worth it?" the agent repeated.

"It has to be. I can't let this go, Gibbs. It would be so easy to look the other way, but I can't do that; there's too much at stake."

Gibbs watched Tony as the young man began to pace; there wasn't a doubt in his mind that although DiNozzo had shared some of his burden, the weight he bore was still cumbersome. "You've got to be tired; you're welcome to crash here for the night."

"Thanks but I'm not gonna put you out," Tony insisted, pulling his cell phone out of his pocket.

Gibbs had almost forgotten that DiNozzo had been forced to put his phone on silent due to the influx of calls from other officers who had nothing better to do than to torment Tony with their childish pranks. "How many of those missed calls are from Waters and his henchmen?"

"I don't know; I quit counting."

The agent knew that the repeated phone calls were meant to intimidate but it was evident to him that DiNozzo didn't easily succumb to the threats and the distress that his colleagues seemed determined to inflict upon him. Gibbs admired the other man's tenacity; he just hoped that Tony's doggedness was enough to see him through the upcoming trials.

"Crap," DiNozzo mumbled. "I missed a call from Wendy. Do you mind if I check my voicemail?"

"Go right ahead," he conceded.

He began to sand on his boat while DiNozzo listened to Wendy's message. Gibbs genuinely hoped that everything worked out for Tony and his fiancée; DiNozzo definitely deserved some happiness after everything that he'd been through the past few months.

DiNozzo hung up and began to dial what Gibbs assumed to be Wendy's number. After a few seconds, an expression of concern began to dance upon his youthful features. "That's strange."

"Something wrong?"

"I uh…Wendy's not answering her phone; it went straight to her voicemail. She should be back at her hotel by now."

"Why don't you try her again?" Gibbs suggested.

"All right."

After a few seconds, DiNozzo shook his head and hung up. "I don't like this."

"I'm sure she's all right. Maybe she's just…"

"If he's hurt her, I'll kill him."

Gibbs felt the knot in his stomach tighten when he realized that DiNozzo's fiancée had more than likely been threatened; that would definitely explain Tony's sudden agitation. "Who? Waters? Did he threaten her?"

"Not in so many words but the underlying meaning was obvious."

"Where is she at?"

"LA," Tony answered as he dialed her number one more time.

"I've got some connections in LA; I'll see what I can find out," Gibbs offered.

"I appreciate it."

Just as Gibbs was getting ready to call in a couple of favors, DiNozzo held up his phone to show him that Wendy was now calling him. "Never mind," Tony sighed. "I guess I got worked up over nothing."

Gibbs nodded, slipping his own phone back in his pocket as he tried to ignore the constant feeling in his gut that something was wrong. He returned his attention to his boat, half listening to DiNozzo's one-sided conversation; it was obvious that Tony wasn't talking to his fiancée.

"Hey, Babe; I was beginning to worry…who's this? LAPD? Where's Wendy? I'd like to talk to my fiancée. Put her on the phone."

With each demand that Tony made, the assumption that something was amiss was quickly turning into reality. The former Marine barely managed to catch DiNozzo as he collapsed to the ground. The younger man's face was ashen and his entire body was shaking; Gibbs could recall having a similar reaction when he had received the news about Shannon and Kelly. He hoped with every fiber of his being that Tony would be spared that pain."

"Tony? What's wrong?" Gibbs asked.

He wasn't sure if Tony had even heard his question. After a few more unsuccessful attempts at trying to get DiNozzo to answer him, Gibbs took Tony's phone out of his trembling hand.

"This is Special Agent Jethro Gibbs, NCIS; who am I talking too?" he demanded to know.

"Agent Gibbs, my name is Officer Daniel Harmon with the Los Angeles Police Department. I'm on the scene of what appears to be a drive by gang shooting; the victim is one Wendy Collins. This number is the last number that was listed on her phone on incoming calls; can you tell me who the owner of the phone is?" the officer inquired.

"Detective Anthony DiNozzo of the Baltimore Police Department," Gibbs answered, his own voice now possessing a slight quiver. "The victim…how is she?"

"I'm afraid I can't divulge…"

"Wendy is Detective DiNozzo's fiancée; I think he has a right to know."

There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the line before the officer finally managed to answer him. Gibbs tamped down the memories of a time gone by that threatened to resurface; he didn't have the time or energy to deal with his past on top of what had now become DiNozzo's present nightmare.

"I'm sorry to inform you that Miss Collins was pronounced dead at the scene," Harmon declared.

Gibbs placed his hand on Tony's shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. What little DiNozzo had talked about Wendy, it had been enough for the agent to realize that he had deeply loved her and that she had been his life. The older man had seen the light go out in DiNozzo's eyes and he knew from experience that it would be a long time before that light shone again. He should know; even after all these years, he was still waiting for that spark to return in his own eyes.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Tony wasn't sure how he ended up on the basement floor but at the moment, he didn't care; his mind was trying to process why someone from LAPD would be answering Wendy's phone. The scenarios running through his mind didn't ease the sense of dread that was now consuming his soul; something had happened to Wendy but he couldn't bear to hear what the officer had to say. If he heard that she was gone, he would be forced to accept it as fact and that was something that he wasn't prepared to do.

He recognized the fact that Gibbs was talking on his phone but he didn't want to listen to the conversation; Tony could tell by the NCIS agent's paled expression that whatever news Gibbs had just received wasn't anything that he wanted to hear. Pulling his knees up to his chest, he laid his head on them and covered his ears with his trembling hands.

"Please let her be okay," he mumbled repeatedly, hoping that the mantra would somehow become reality and that Gibbs would tell him that Wendy was all right.

It was the squeeze to his shoulder that told him otherwise. She was gone and nothing he could do or say would bring her back; it was his fault that she was dead and he was going to have to live with that knowledge the rest of his life.

"Tony?"

He heard Gibbs call his name but he couldn't bring himself to lift his head and look the other man in the eyes. Tony pressed his face against his knees in an effort to hold his tears at bay but they continued to flow; his heart ached as if it were being ripped into a million pieces and the pain in his soul was becoming unbearable.

"Tony, look at me," Gibbs insisted.

For some reason, he couldn't deny the agent's request. He had only known Gibbs for less than twenty-four hours and yet there was some kind of inexplicable bond between them; Tony sensed the quiet level of trust that Gibbs was offering to him but he still wasn't convinced that he could depend on anyone but himself.

Summoning up strength from his nearly depleted reserves, he obeyed Gibbs' gentle command. "Please don't tell me she's gone," he pleaded. "Tell me anything but that. Tell me she's hurt or that there's been a case of mistaken identity; just please don't tell me that she's d…gone."

"I'm sorry, Tony," Gibbs soothed. "I'd give anything to be able to tell you that Wendy was fine but I can't. It sounds like she was in the wrong place at the wrong time; LAPD thinks that Wendy was the victim of a gang related drive by shooting."

"No!" he growled. "No she wasn't."

His sorrow was quickly turning into rage; Tony knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that Wendy's death was not gang related nor was it accidental. Waters had made it perfectly clear his intentions when he delivered the thinly veiled threat earlier that day; the Captain may not have pointed the gun and fired the bullet that killed his fiancée, but Waters knew who did.

"Waters…he told me earlier…" Tony silently cursed as he struggled to piece his thoughts together. "He had her killed. Waters warned me that we'd never make it to the altar."

"Those were his words?" Gibbs pressed.

"Yeah, pretty much. I tried to get Wendy to come home but…but…she said she'd be okay." Tony raked his hands through his hair and then wrapped his arms around his lean frame. "She promised me that she'd be okay. I should have…I should have demanded she come home. I could…have protected her!"

Tony choked back a sob as Gibbs simply allowed him to continue his desperate tirade. The myriad of emotions that had escaped from the normally well constructed dam that hid his feelings were vying to make their presence known. Anger, bitterness, sorrow, disbelief; they were all rearing their ugly heads.

Fortunately the NCIS agent seemed to understand exactly what he needed and placed no expectations on him; Gibbs was content to listen and that meant more to him than any platitudes that the older man could offer.

"She was innocent in all this," he continued. "All she ever did…was listen to me. I should've never gotten her involved; maybe she'd be alive."

"Maybe, maybe not," Gibbs reasoned. "It's hard to hide things from the one you love; they always have a way of finding out what's going on. The fact that she willing to stay by your side was solid proof of her love for you; you can't blame yourself."

Pushing himself up off the floor, Tony began to pace once again. "How can you say that? Who else am I supposed to blame?"

"How about blaming the one responsible?"

Gibbs handed him his phone and a piece of paper. "That's the number of the officer I was talking to. His name was Officer Harmon. You need to call him; maybe by now he can tell you something more."

Tony took his phone and stared at it. "I don't…know if I can."

"You can do it," Gibbs urged. "You _need_ to do it."

"I know. I guess I know that when I dial that number that I'm going to have to accept she's gone."

"Do you want me to give you some privacy?"

He truly had no idea what he wanted; actually he knew exactly what he wanted but unfortunately he couldn't turn back time and save the woman that he loved. "Yeah," he finally managed to say. "That'd be good."

"I'll be upstairs if you need anything."

"Thanks."

Tony watched Gibbs as the older man slowly began to ascend the stairs. "Is there anyone you need me to call for you?" the agent asked. "Any family?"

"No. I'll call her parents once I know more."

"What about your family?"

Gibbs had no idea that he and his father's relationship was nowhere reminiscent of what a family should be; he had already revealed more to the agent that he had wanted to and there was no use to burden him with the task of trying to carry on a conversation with Anthony DiNozzo, Senior. "It's just my dad. I'll call him later."

"I wouldn't mind calling him and letting him know what happened."

Tony shook his head; dealing with his father wasn't a priority at the moment. "No thanks."

"All right. The offer still stands if you change your mind."

As the basement door shut, Tony slowly began to dial the number he'd been given. Before he could press the last button, a wave of nausea overwhelmed forcing him to look for the nearest garbage can. The meal that he had consumed earlier was now resting at the bottom of a trash bin along with the other contents of his stomach.

He fell to his knees as he wished for the room to stop spinning. Tony closed his eyes against the tears that were flowing unbidden down his cheek; how was he going to survive without Wendy in his life? Although she was several years older than him, the love they shared was timeless; he knew that he would never find anyone to love him so unconditionally and as fully as Wendy had.

Clenching the phone in his hand, he dialed the number once again. It was time to get his head back in the game; he needed to know exactly what had happened and he needed to figure out how to connect the evidence to Captain Waters. There would be time to grieve when all was said and done.

**Hello my friends! The beach was wonderful and**** although I didn't get as much writing done as I planned but I did get some done. This week is a busy week and I'm not sure what other stories I'll be able to post a new chapter for but I hope that this will hold you over for a few days. Thank you all for your continued support and encouragement; it means the world to me. I hope you enjoyed the post!**


	6. Chapter 6

Part 6

Gibbs sat on his couch, sipping his coffee and contemplating what his next move should be. He had left Tony alone so he could do what he needed to do; Gibbs knew that the detective was more than determined to bring Waters down but in order to that, Tony was going to have to keep a clear head and keep his emotions under control. The agent knew from experience how difficult a challenge that would be for the young man; it would be hard for DiNozzo to put his grieving aside but it would be necessary.

He figured that it would be a few minutes before Tony made an appearance, which was enough time for him to make a phone call of his own. Gibbs pulled out his cell phone and noticed that he had missed three calls; one from his ex-wife, one from his lawyer, and one from Ducky. It was the last one that he was interested in; the ME must have finished the autopsies on the Griffon family and wanted to report his findings.

Not bothering to listen to his messages, he called his old friend in hopes of not only getting the autopsy results, but using the ME as a sounding board as well. There had been many times in the past that Gibbs had relied on Ducky's wisdom; the older man had a vast amount of knowledge and was willing to share it with whoever would listen. The physician and the detective had seemed to immediately strike up a friendship and Ducky had an uncanny ability to profile people; he was counting on the ME to provide him with some much needed insight on Detective Anthony DiNozzo.

"Hey Duck," he tiredly greeted upon hearing the familiar cultured voice.

"Jethro, I was just about to try and call you again."

"Got the autopsy results?"

"I'm still waiting on some test results, but I do know enough to tell you that they were killed in the same manner as the Milner family and just as Detective DiNozzo surmised, the wife and daughter were killed quickly while the father's death was drawn out, probably so he could watch his loved ones die," Ducky informed him. "I'm still waiting on Baltimore PD to release the autopsies that were performed on the Milners, but they don't seem to be in any hurry to acquiesce to my request."

"I'll see if I can't put a rush on that for you when I go to the station in the morning," Gibbs promised.

"I'd appreciate that, Jethro. How are things progressing on your end?" the ME inquired.

"Okay," he sighed. "It seems that Detective DiNozzo's investigation is purposefully being sabotaged by some of the powers to be in the precinct, but it'll come together. DiNozzo is a good cop with good instincts; he's got street smarts and he's not afraid to speak his mind."

"Which is a trait that you admire."

"Yeah, it is," Gibbs admitted. "The kid's got grit."

Gibbs had never meant anyone like Tony DiNozzo before; the detective was definitely an enigma and worked very hard to keep people from getting too close. DiNozzo had been determined not to involve Gibbs in his problems in order to protect him from the fallout that was sure to eventually occur, but his persistence had slowly worn down Tony's defenses. He knew that the younger man still didn't trust him completely but he was also aware of the fact that Tony did not trust easily; it would take a while before DiNozzo's faith in him was unconditional. It was a good thing that he was a patient man when he had to be.

He forced his thoughts back to the present and to the conversation that he was having with Ducky. The ME had said something regarding Tony and Gibbs had been so lost in his private musings that he had to ask Ducky to repeat himself. "Sorry Duck, what'd you say?"

"I was just curious as to what other observations you've made concerning Detective DiNozzo," Ducky wanted to know.

"I was about to ask you the same thing."

"I only spoke with him for a short time," the ME pointed out. "However since you asked, I would be more than happy to tell you what _I've_ observed."

"I'm listening."

The ME cleared his throat. Gibbs could almost see the Scotsman removing his glasses in a thoughtful manner as the elderly man considered his words. "Anthony is a bright young man but he sometimes gives the appearance of being otherwise but this works to his advantage; it puts people at ease and then he is able to move in for the kill. He is a man of integrity and doesn't compromise his standards even when he has good cause to do so; he hasn't had an easy life and trust doesn't come easy to him. His inability to trust others isn't a recent development but something that has been present since childhood. Outwardly, he seems to be the life of the party but deep inside, he's a loner and very few people make it past the wall he has erected around his soul."

"You got all that from a conversation about Sean Connery?"

"It's amazing what you can learn when you read in between the lines."

"I guess so," Gibbs conceded. "You pretty much hit the nail on the head, Duck. He's been trying to keep me at arm's length all day, but I think we're coming to an understanding. DiNozzo's made a lot of enemies within the department because he's trying to bring down some bad cops and now they've upped the ante; Detective DiNozzo is going to need all the help he can get."

"What do you mean?" Ducky inquired.

Gibbs blew out a pent up breath, tamping down the once familiar ache that he had endured all those years ago. "He just found a few minutes ago that his fiancée was killed in what appears to be a drive by shooting."

"His fiancée? Oh, Jethro! How tragic! How is Anthony doing?"

"He's holding it together," Gibbs replied. "Tony's talking to LAPD now; he's convinced that this happened because of his investigation and I have to say that I agree with him."

"That poor boy," the ME sighed.

"He doesn't need our pity right now, Duck; he needs our help."

"And he shall have it. Just let me know what I can do."

Gibbs knew that he could count on the physician. Donald Mallard was a good man to have in your corner; he trusted the ME with his life and he hoped in time that Tony would do the same.

"Thanks, Duck. Right now, see what else you can come up with on this case; we need to solve it so DiNozzo can focus on what he needs to do."

"I'll call in a few personal favors and I should have all the results on my desk first thing in the morning."

"Sounds good, Duck."

"Please give Anthony my sympathies and my solemn vow that we will catch the bastards who did this."

The agent grinned at his friend's stoic resolve to help DiNozzo. "I'll tell him, Duck. I'll talk to you tomorrow."

"Goodnight, Jethro."

"'Night, Duck."

Gibbs pressed the button to end the call and slung it on the coffee table in front of him. He leaned back against the cushion and sipped his coffee as he waited for Tony to join him. The agent was concerned for the detective; Anthony DiNozzo had certainly made an impression on him, which according to those who worked with him was a near impossible feat. DiNozzo had the makings of a great agent; it was up to Gibbs to make sure that he got the opportunity to become one.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Tony sat on the basement steps, cradling his head in his hands while his cell phone lay discarded beside him. He had spent the last few minutes mentally replaying his earlier conversation with Officer Harmon; his mind was racing and he was having a difficult time focusing on what he needed to do. The detective knew that he had to push aside his sorrow and guilt in order to serve his growing need for retribution; the desire for justice had become even more personal and he was determined to make sure Waters and his colleagues paid dearly for what they had done.

"I'm so sorry, Wendy," he whispered as he wiped away a stray tear. "I never meant for this to happen."

He knew that she would not be pleased that he was blaming himself; she had always stated that things happened for a reason and believed that it wasn't her place to ask why, but to simply accept the hand that fate dealt. How could he accept that she was dead? They were supposed to get married, have 2.5 kids and live in a house with a white picket fence; now that was never going to happen because he knew that he would never love anyone else the way that he had loved Wendy.

The sound of his phone ringing shattered the silence in the room; he glanced at the caller ID and saw that the number calling belonged to Wendy's mom. He had tried calling her parents after he had spoken with Officer Harmon but no one had answered and he had been forced to leave a message instructing her mom or dad to return his call. Part of him wished that he had taken Gibbs up on his offer to call her family but he had declined. He loved Wendy's parents and they were as equally fond of him; he owed it to them to tell them about the tragedy that had befallen their daughter.

"Hello?" he tiredly answered.

"Tony?"

For a fleeting second, Tony thought he was talking to Wendy; she and her mom had always sounded alike on the phone and in person to the point that it was almost impossible to tell them apart.

"Hey, June." He laid his head against the hand railing as the exhaustion and sadness he was experiencing threatened to consume him.

"Tony, what's wrong?" June wanted to know.

Tony cleared his throat and blew out a shaky breath. "Is Al there with you?"

"Yes."

"Put me on speaker, June."

"Tony, you're scaring me," Wendy's mother nervously stated.

He realized that she had already honored his request when he heard Al's warm baritone ask him what was wrong. "Tony? Are you all right?" the older man asked.

"I'm fine," he assured the couple. "I have something to tell you." Tony was struggling to find the words that he needed to say; how do you tell a mother and father that their only daughter is dead?

"What is it, son?" Al pressed.

Son. Al had treated him like his own since the beginning of his and Wendy's relationship and he was repaying the man's kindness by telling him that his daughter had been murdered. He felt the knife in his heart plunge a little deeper; very soon, there would be nothing left of his soul.

"Wendy," he finally managed to begin. "Wendy's gone."

"Gone where? Did you two have a fight?" June asked, with a glimmer of false hope in her voice.

Tony swallowed hard; he was going to have to shatter that hope and at the moment, he hated himself for having to break Al and June's heart.

"No, June. Wendy was coming home from a concert and…" He silently cursed himself for being such a coward.

"And what?"

"She was killed in a drive by shooting."

The silence on the other end of the line shattered what little control he had over his emotions. "I'm sorry." Tony choked back a sob. "I'm so sorry. I…"

A piercing scream of denial echoed in his mind as he heard June cry out. "I'm sorry, June," Tony wept. "I'm sorry."

"I'll call you later, Tony," Al insisted. "June…I've got to tend to June."

Tony heard the quiver in the normally stoic man's voice. The detective knew that Al was usually never afraid to show his feelings but he also knew that the man who would have been his father in law was trying to be strong for his grieving wife. "I understand," Tony replied. "Just know that I…"

"It's not your fault, Tony; you didn't pull the trigger," Wendy's father reminded him. "I'll call you back in the morning and we'll talk then."

"All right," he sighed.

"Good night."

He remained motionless for a few moments after the line went dead. Tony knew that Wendy's death was his fault and no one would ever convince him otherwise; the detective wouldn't be surprised that when Wendy's parents learned the truth, they held him responsible for their daughter's death.

Tony finally slipped the phone back in his pocket and scrubbed his face in order to dry his tear stained cheeks; he reminded himself once again that there would be time for tears later. There was a lot of work to be done and Tony knew that in order to exact his revenge, he would have to crawl out of his self imposed hole of self pity he was burying himself in.

Pushing himself up off the steps, he headed upstairs where Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs was waiting for him. Gibbs was still a mystery to him and would probably always be, but he felt at ease around the agent and a sense of camaraderie; that was something he hadn't experienced in a long time.

Opening the door, he stepped out into the foyer and glanced around to see Gibbs sitting on the couch drinking his coffee. He shook his head in amazement; except for cops on a stakeout, no one should be able to drink that much coffee and sleep at night. Maybe Gibbs didn't sleep; maybe he stayed awake to work on the boat in the basement, which led to a myriad of questions that he was too tired to even consider.

"Hey." Tony collapsed onto the couch beside the agent. It definitely had been one hell of day.

"Hey," Gibbs acknowledged him. "How ya doin'?"

"Just great."

"I can tell," the agent quipped. "Did you talk to LAPD?"

"Yeah. Officer Harmon was pretty forthcoming with information. Wendy was shot six times, mostly in the head and face; he said that she didn't suffer."

"I guess that's something."

Tony shrugged, his gaze fixed on the fire burning in the fireplace. "I guess. They weren't through processing the crime scene but Harmon promised to let me know what they find. There were a couple of eyewitnesses that saw the shooter's car and got the license plate; a bolo was issued but no hits yet."

"Are you going out to LA?" Gibbs inquired.

He shook his head. "No, not right now. They don't need me to ID her because…because there really wasn't enough left of…they'll use dental records for that. It'll take a while before her body is released and then I'll go out and bring her home."

"Have you talked to Wendy's parents?"

"Briefly. I told them she was dead; they were taking it pretty hard. Her dad's going to call me back in the morning. Truthfully, I was kind of glad I didn't have to go into any detail; I'm not sure what I could have said to them to ease the pain."

"The pain of losing a child never truly goes away," Gibbs stated. "It just gradually becomes part of your life and you have to choose whether you're going to let it consume you or if you're going to move on."

Tony stared at the agent as he considered the other man's words. "Sounds like you're talking from experience, Gibbs."

He noticed how Gibbs seemed to shut down causing Tony to wonder if he had said something wrong. Had he unwittingly struck a nerve?

"Want some coffee?" Gibbs asked, purposefully avoiding Tony's question.

"No, It's late; I've gotta get going."

"The offer still stands if you want to sack out on the couch."

"No. I need to be alone for a while; got some things to figure out."

"I don't think it's a good idea; you may be Waters' next target."

"He's not going to mess with me tonight; he's making me suffer and that's what he wants to do. I'll be fine."

"I still don't think…"

"Like I told you, I'm pretty good at looking over my shoulder. I know how to take care of myself," he pointed out.

"Kind of like you did in the parking lot when you got the crap beat out of you?" Gibbs challenged.

"Wasn't really expecting it then; now I am."

"Wish you'd change your mind."

"No, I…I…just need this time to pull myself together."

"All right," Gibbs finally agreed.

To Tony, the agent's reluctant consent was a gesture of trust; he had almost forgotten what it felt like to be able to trust someone else. Other than Wendy, the last few months had been filled with nothing but betrayal and for this Navy cop to take him at his word made Tony realize that maybe he wasn't the lone ranger.

"Tony, if you need to take a couple of days, I can work the case," the former Marine told him. "When you're ready, I can bring you up to speed."

The detective rose up off the couch and slowly made his way towards the door. "Wendy would kick my ass if I just let this case go; those families deserve closure. Believe me Gibbs; I'm going to prove that Waters is responsible for Wendy's death and when I do…" Tony tamped down the rage that was building inside of him. "I'll meet you at the coffee shop around eight and we'll get down to business."

"I'll be there," Gibbs vowed. "I spoke to Ducky earlier; he should have some pertinent information for us by then; we'll get this wrapped up and then we can figure out how to bring Waters down."

Stopping midstride, he turned to face the agent. "We?"

Tony was unnerved by Gibbs' smile. "That's what I said."

"This isn't your fight, Gibbs."

"It is now. You need someone to watch your back and I can do that."

"You don't even really know me; why are you doing this?"

"Be damned if I know; guess I'm just trusting my gut."

"Has your gut ever been wrong?" he asked.

"Only once."

"I guess that's a pretty good record."

Tony shook Gibbs' hand. The unspoken bond of friendship was beginning to form between the two men and Tony wasn't sure how to handle having someone in his life who actually seemed to care about what happened to him. Tony was reluctant to let anyone get too close to him; too many people that he had cared about had either left him or ended up dying and he didn't want to be responsible for another death. The detective felt a sudden urge to get away from everything and everyone; he had a lot of soul searching to do and needed to be alone.

"I'll see ya later, Gibbs."

Closing the door behind him, he headed to his car. He slid in the driver's seat and started the engine as he spared a final glance at the agent's house. There was something about Gibbs' house that made him feel safe and he cherished that feeling; he couldn't remember the last time that he didn't have a care in the world.

He pulled away from the curb and began to drive down the street. His mind was a thousand miles away; his thoughts consumed by his loss and the revenge that he would have. If he had been paying attention to his surroundings, he would have noticed the car that was now following him.

**Just in time for the weekend. Hope you enjoyed the post! The next one is going to be interesting when Gibbs confronts Waters…I'm looking forward to writing that scene this weekend. Again, thank you so much for your support and encouragement…it means the world to me.**


	7. Chapter 7

Part 7

Detective Tony DiNozzo sat at the stoplight, his mind a million miles away, or to be more exact, his thoughts were almost three thousand miles away. He still couldn't believe that Wendy was dead; Tony felt like his heart had literally been ripped out of his chest and stomped on and he doubted that nothing would ever dull that pain. Guilt ravaged him as he played her death over and over again in his mind; the details that Officer Harmon provided were very specific, painting a picture of blood and violence that Tony couldn't erase.

People were always saying that hindsight is 20/20; Tony realized that fact better than anyone. Did he not take Waters' threat serious enough? Could he have done more to protect Wendy? Maybe he should have demanded that she come home right then, but he also knew that if Waters wanted her dead then it wouldn't have mattered where she was. That knowledge didn't alleviate the sorrow or the anger that was building inside of him; Wendy was still dead and nothing he could do would ever bring her back.

The car behind him started honking, forcing him back to his present reality. Glancing up, he saw that his light had turned to green prompting him to silently curse himself for getting so distracted. "Get it together, DiNozzo," he mumbled to himself as he pressed down on the accelerator. He couldn't afford to get sidetracked by his emotions; of course under the circumstances, staying focused on what he needed to do was going to be easier said than done.

He braked to a stop at the next light; fortunately the impatient driver that had been behind him earlier had turned down another street. Tony laid his head back against the headrest as he waited for the light to change once again. The agent had considered running the red light since there wasn't a lot of traffic this time of night but he thought better of it; the way his luck was going, he couldn't afford a ticket on his record in addition to all the other black marks in his file.

Turning on the radio, he tuned it to his favorite jazz station in hopes that the music would help calm his frayed nerves. As he listened to the melodious strains of the piano, Tony noticed a dark SUV pulling up beside him. His heart began to pound as his instincts started screaming at him that something was very wrong with the situation that was unfolding before his eyes. Tony's gut proved itself right as the passenger side window of the other vehicle slowly descended; he found himself staring down a barrel of gun held by a man whose face was obscured by a mask. Tony briefly wondered if Wendy had experienced the same sense of panic that was consuming him at this very moment.

In a split second decision, Tony mashed down on the gas pedal and gunned the engine as the assassin pulled the trigger. Within seconds, he was speeding down the boulevard, leaving his would be assailant behind and the back of his car riddled with bullet holes. If it hadn't been for his quick reflexes, he would have more than likely met the same fate as Wendy had and although he missed his fiancée, it wasn't his time to join her.

Tony was taken by surprise when he looked over his shoulder to discover his pursuer had turned off on one of the side streets; he knew the streets well enough to know that the road that the other vehicle had taken wasn't one that could come around and cut him off. Wheeling his car around, he followed the same route that the SUV had taken; he needed to know if the gunman was actually trying to kill him or scare him. If it was the latter, his plan had worked.

He turned down the darkened street but there was no sign of the shooter. After a few more minutes of futile searching, Tony realized that he wasn't going to find the man that had just tried to kill him. Pulling into the parking lot of a small convenience store, he shifted his car into park and blew out a shaky breath. Would this day ever end?

The detective wasn't sure what his next move should be. Should he go home? Maybe he should just go to the station; at least there were too many witnesses there for someone to take him out. He rested his head on the steering wheel as he attempted to organize his scattered thoughts. He briefly considered turning his car around and going back to Gibbs' place but he didn't want to place the agent in any danger should his 'friend' return. Tony wanted to trust Gibbs but it seemed like whenever he let someone get close to him, they ended up dead; he didn't need another death on his conscience.

Making his decision, he pulled out onto the road and headed home. Tony figured that he was just as safe there as any place else; Waters' men had already trashed his apartment and there wasn't much more that they could do to it should they decide to show up. Ever since the night of the break-in, he had kept his weapon within reach, even resorting to sleeping with it whenever he managed to doze off for a few minutes. He hadn't told anyone about the vandalism to his place knowing that it would be useless; Tony couldn't be sure who was on Waters' payroll and who wasn't.

As he drove, he kept a constant vigil in his mirrors, hoping that he had seen the last of the gunman. The sound of the bullets hitting the car echoed in his mind; those shots could have easily torn through his flesh and not his car. Tony felt grateful and guilty for being alive as he was reminded of Wendy's death once again; she was a much better person than he could ever hope to be and she had died. Sometimes life just wasn't fair.

Forcing his mind back to the task at hand, Tony mulled over his plan to pull the bullets out of the body of his car and run them through ballistics; depending on the results, he could possibly narrow down his suspect list which currently consisted of half of his precinct. He shook his head in frustration. "You're not thinking straight, DiNozzo; who's going to run those tests for you?"

Tony sighed as he continued driving back to Baltimore; he was beginning to doubt that he was going to survive the nightmare that his life had become. Exhaustion seemed to seep into every fiber of his being; he couldn't remember the last time that he had been the recipient of a good night's sleep. In the past few months, he had come to believe that sleep was highly overrated but now, he'd give anything for just an hour of uninterrupted sleep.

He was startled out of his reverie by the sound of his phone ringing; glancing at the caller ID, he felt a sense of relief when he saw the words 'Navy guy' light up his screen. It would be nice to hear a friendly voice; perhaps the sound of the older man's voice would ground him and help him focus on what he needed to do.

"Hey, Gibbs," Tony tiredly greeted. He hoped that he could hide the anxiety that was eating him from the inside out. The agent's perception was uncanny and it would be difficult to deceive him, but he was an expert at conning others into seeing only what he wanted them to see.

"Are you all right?" Gibbs demanded to know.

There was no mistaking the deep level of concern in the NCIS agent's voice. Tony wasn't sure how to perceive the worry he sensed emanating from Gibbs; aside from Wendy, Drew, and Rita, there weren't very many people who wasted their energy or time agonizing over his physical and mental well being.

"I'm fine," he lied. "Why?"

"My gut."

"Your gut?"

"Yeah; so you want to try telling me the truth?" Gibbs challenged.

"I'm fine," Tony forcibly repeated.

"You don't sound fine."

"I'm tired."

"How far are you from your apartment?"

"About fifteen minutes."

"I figured you'd be closer than that."

"I had to stop for gas."

His retort was met with silence. Tony knew that Gibbs wasn't buying into his feeble lies. He wanted to trust the older man with the truth; the agent had already proven himself several times over but he was still reluctant to put his complete faith in Gibbs. There was a high cost in trusting someone; he wasn't sure that he was willing to pay the price again.

"Want to try again?" Gibbs pressed.

"Anyone ever tell you that you're like a pit bull?" Tony asked.

"Several times. Now, what's going on?"

"Gibbs, I…"

"The truth, DiNozzo."

Tony realized that there was no way he could lie to Gibbs; the agent seemed to be able to see right through him. He was uncomfortable with the idea that someone could see behind the mask that he had so carefully orchestrated over the years, yet Gibbs had managed to do so time and time again.

He cleared his throat, knowing he could no longer put off the inevitable. "I uh…someone took a shot at me," Tony finally managed to say.

"What?" Gibbs exclaimed. "Are you all right?"

'Yeah, the bullets didn't hit me, just my car."

"What happened?"

"Vehicle pulled up beside me, rolled the window down and opened fire. I got out of there but whoever it was turned down a side street; I went after him but he was long gone."

"Are you sure you're all right?"

"Yeah…I can't help but think of how scared Wendy had to be. Why couldn't they've just scared her? Why'd they kill her?" Tony was actually talking more to himself than Gibbs, but the other man had heard every word.

"I don't know, Tony," the agent softly replied. "I promise you that her death won't be in vain."

"I hope you're right."

"You want to come back here and crash?"

"No, I'm going on home and try and catch a few winks."

"Are you going to dig the bullets out and run a ballistics comparison?" Gibbs wanted to know.

The detective couldn't help but laugh out loud. Surely Gibbs wasn't that naïve; almost everyone under Waters' command was under his control and they had all been given strict orders not to help him. Even those that claimed to be neutral were scared of Waters; Tony had been the lone ranger for several months.

"Something funny?" the agent pressed.

"Not really. It's just that there's no use of me taking them to ballistics; it wouldn't get done."

"Give them to me."

"What?"

"Give them to me. I'll bring them to NCIS and have it done."

"Thanks, Gibbs." Tony wasn't sure of what else to say. Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs had done more for him in one day than his own department had in the nearly two years he had been there.

"You're welcome."

Tony turned down the street that his apartment was on, a welcome sight even though his place had been violated by Waters and his men; it was still home and that's where he wanted to be. "I'm home," he informed Gibbs.

"Does everything look okay?"

"Yeah, it's good. Listen, Gibbs; thanks again for…worrying about me. I appreciate it."

"Any time, DiNozzo. You call me if there's any more trouble."

"I will."

"I want your word on that."

"I promise," Tony vowed.

"All right. I'll see you in a few hours."

He glanced at his watch and mentally calculated the hours until they were scheduled to meet. "Sounds good. Get some sleep, Gibbs."

"You too, Tony."

Tony hung up and slipped his phone back in his pocket. He pulled into his assigned space and parked his car; now if he could only muster the energy to get out of his vehicle and walk up the stairs. As tempting as it was to recline his seat back and go to sleep, he couldn't allow himself that luxury; it would make him an easier target and he wasn't prepared to make life easier for Waters by becoming careless.

Opening his door, he got out of his car and trudged towards his apartment. Tony struggled to put one foot in front of the other; he couldn't give into the exhaustion that was threatening to consume him. Leaning against the door frame he unlocked his door and entered the small foyer. He immediately locked the door behind him, taking time to lock the two deadbolts he had installed while he had been on medical leave; if anyone wanted in his home, they were going to have their work cut out for them.

He fell onto the couch and pulled the crumpled blanket that had been on the floor up to his chin. His eyes fell on the picture of Wendy that was adorning his coffee table; the ache in his heart nearly became unbearable. Tony picked up the picture and clutched it to his chest. "I'm so sorry, Wendy," he whispered. He knew the pain that he was feeling in the deep realms of his soul would never go away; how could someone live with the agony of being alone?

Tony closed his eyes as he briefly reflected on the tumultuous storm that his emotions had become, especially in the past twenty four hours. Anger, sorrow, frustration, confusion, and bitterness were all vying for control and at the moment, he wasn't sure which feeling was going to emerge victorious. One thing was for certain; today could be classified as the worse day of his life and he had a feeling that tomorrow wasn't going to be any better.

XX**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs had been trying to fall asleep for several hours but ever since his last conversation with Detective DiNozzo, sleep had been elusive. Dreams from the past and the present haunted him as images of Kelly and Shannon were intermingled with those of DiNozzo, who earlier that night had narrowly avoided meeting the same fate as his fiancée.

When Tony had revealed that someone had tried to kill him, Gibbs' first instinct was to go to Baltimore and appoint himself the young man's personal protector but he knew that if was going to gain DiNozzo's trust, he was going to have to permit Tony to feel like he had power over something in his life. For the past few months, the cop's life had been spiraling out of control and the death of Wendy was pushing him closer to the edge.

He respected DiNozzo's need for privacy and the young man had given his word that he would call if there were any further problems. However, Gibbs was still wary; Waters was getting desperate and with desperation came carelessness. He just hoped that Tony didn't end up getting killed because of Waters' need for revenge at any cost.

Gibbs glanced at his watch; there wasn't any use to try and go back to sleep since it was almost five a.m. He planned on being in Waters' office by 7 and was determined to make sure that the Captain knew exactly where he stood. The agent wanted the Baltimore Police Department to understand that he had Tony's back and that he was aware of everything that had transpired.

Getting out of bed, he headed towards the bathroom where a hot shower was awaiting him; he often used his normal morning routine to ground himself as he mentally prepared for the day. Gibbs knew that he was going to have to be on top of his game, not only when he confronted the Captain but for when he and DiNozzo met to work on their case; Tony needed to know that he could rely on him and that it wasn't a mistake to trust him.

Within the hour, Gibbs had showered and dressed and aside from a quick stop at his favorite local coffee shop, he was on his way to Baltimore. He preferred to get there before Waters so he could make sure that there were no surprises awaiting him; the agent was going to be the one who had a few tricks up his sleeves.

Men like Waters cast a bad light on law enforcement. There were many police officers who took their oath seriously and DiNozzo was definitely one of them; the detective was determined to right a wrong and it was costing him a great deal both professionally and personally. Gibbs had been down this road and he knew how lonely it could be; unfortunately, DiNozzo had already traveled many miles on that road and was weary from the journey.

As he veered off the interstate towards Baltimore, Gibbs considered what he was going to say. He had to choose his words carefully so he wouldn't make things worse for DiNozzo; there was no telling how Waters would react but there wasn't a doubt in his mind that the Captain was not going to be happy.

A few minutes later, he pulled into the parking lot of the precinct. A mischievous grin escaped his lips as he wheeled his car into Captain Waters' parking space; nothing like getting his attention from the very beginning. Entering the building he flashed his badge and asked to be directed to the Captain's office. Ignoring the curious stares of the other officers, he quickly found the room he was looking for and made himself comfortable behind Waters' desk.

Right at seven o'clock, Waters entered his office followed by another officer. He figured that the Captain already knew exactly who he was and that the man with Waters was more than likely one of his henchmen. The Captain eyed him suspiciously but Gibbs was not intimidated; he patiently waited for Waters to make the first move.

"I believe you're in my chair," Waters growled.

"I figure that before long, this chair will be up for grabs," Gibbs retorted. "You probably shouldn't get too comfortable in it."

The Captain leaned over and braced his arms on the desk prompting Gibbs to look up at him and smile. Evidently, it didn't take a lot to push Waters' buttons.

"What do you want, Gibbs?" the Captain wanted to know.

"Glad you know my name."

"I know that you're the Navy Cop assigned to the Milner murders. I also know you're working with DiNozzo and I can only assume that you're here to file a complaint against him. So tell me, what did Detective DiNozzo do now?"

Gibbs leaned back in Waters' chair, taking great pleasure in the other man's disdain; it was obvious that the Captain was very territorial of his belongings and that included the chair that the agent was continuing to occupy. "That's kind of presumptuous on your part; I haven't said a word about Detective DiNozzo. Why do you assume that he's done anything?"

He watched Waters reluctantly take the seat across from him; although he'd never admit it out loud, he was looking forward to making Waters sweat.

"It's like this, Agent Gibbs," the officer began. "DiNozzo's a troublemaker; he's actually in the middle of an Internal Affairs investigation, if that tells you anything."

"Is this the same investigation that you're involved in?" he challenged.

"How do you know…" Waters shook his head as if dismissing Gibbs' assumption. "It's obvious that once again, DiNozzo's big mouth is creating even more problems. This situation is a Baltimore Police Department matter; we don't need NCIS poking its nose into our business. If the only reason that you're here is to try and sing DiNozzo's praises, I suggest you get back to your case so you can wrap it up and get back to D.C."

"_I_ suggest that _you_ listen up," Gibbs warned, his voice taking on an icy tone. "I know what's going on and I'm going to be watching your every move. You're going down for murder and I can't wait to watch DiNozzo put the cuffs on you and arrest your ass; that is if you live that long."

He caught a glimpse of panic in Waters' eyes but the Captain quickly schooled his features. "That sound likes a threat, don't you agree Lt. Morgan?"

"Yes it does, Captain Waters," Morgan conceded. "In fact, I think…"

"I don't care what you think, Lieutenant!" Gibbs snapped. "I'm not talking to you. This is between me and the Captain, but don't worry, when Waters goes down, I'm sure he'll be taking you down with him. Maybe you should go and make sure you've got all your ducks in a row."

After delivering his ultimatum, Morgan elected to remain silent; Gibbs could sense the relief emanating from the lieutenant as Waters dismissed him with a curt nod. Waters' hardened gaze met Gibbs' defiant orbs; the agent's anger rose with each passing moment as he recalled the torment that DiNozzo had been subjected to.

"You've got a lot of nerve, Gibbs," Waters spat. "It takes a lot of gall to come in here and accuse me of murder."

Gibbs picked up a picture from Waters' desk and looked out. "This your wife?"

"Yes."

"She's a pretty lady."

"Yes she is."

"You must enjoy going home to her every night."

"I do."

"Unfortunately, Detective DiNozzo's not going to find out what that's like. Tell _me_ something, Captain," Gibbs continued. "What's it going to do to her when she discovers that you were responsible for the death of DiNozzo's fiancée?"

He saw the Captain visibly bristle at his accusation. Gibbs was an expert at reading other people and Waters' reaction screamed that he was guilty; now all they had to do was prove it. The agent rose to his feet and made his way around the desk until he was standing over Captain Waters. Leaning over, Gibbs whispered into the other man's ear. "How does a man who is supposed to uphold the law become a murderer?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Waters seethed. "This is the first I've heard about DiNozzo's fiancée; he should have known something was going to happen to her."

"Especially after you threatened her in front of him."

An expression of amusement flitted across Gibbs' face as Waters pushed himself out of his seat and in two strides, was opening the door, presumably for the agent to leave. "I think you better go," the Captain forcibly demanded.

Gibbs sauntered over to the Captain. "I'm going to enjoy watching Tony take you down. Just remember that I've got DiNozzo's back; he's not in this alone."

"You might regret that decision."

"I don't think so." Gibbs started to walk out of the office, briefly pausing before he cleared the door. "One more thing, I better not see any more new bruises on that boy; you and your men better keep your distance. Have a nice day, Captain."

The agent could sense Waters shooting daggers into his back as he walked out of the bullpen. He had set out what he had intended to do; Gibbs had managed to rattle the Captain and if everything went according to plan, Waters' anger would make him even more careless. When that happened, Gibbs would be there ready to ensure that the Captain and his followers got what they deserved. Waters' personal vendetta against DiNozzo would be his undoing; Tony would get his revenge and Captain Waters would learn that karma didn't play favorites.

**Okay, I admit that I wrote part of this while on some heavy duty sinus medication, so I had to proof it several times; hopefully I caught all the faux pas. As always, thank you all so much for the alerts, favorites, and most of all, the reviews. I'm so blessed to have such incredible readers; thank you all from the bottom of my heart.**


	8. Chapter 8

Part 8

Gibbs entered the coffee shop and waved to Rita who pointed him towards one of her assigned tables in the back. He acknowledged her with a smile and made his way back to the corner, expecting Tony to already be there ready to go over their evidence. The agent was surprised to discover that DiNozzo had yet to arrive; glancing at his watch, he quickly decided he'd give the younger man a few minutes before he called him. The possibility that something was wrong gnawed at his mind, but his gut was telling him not to overreact and fortunately, his gut was seldom wrong.

He sat down and laid his files to the side and picked up the breakfast menu that was stuck between the napkin dispenser and salt and pepper shaker. As he was mulling over his limited options, Rita came over to his table and set a cup and saucer down in front of him and proceeded to fill his cup with steaming hot coffee.

Nodding his thanks, he took a sip of the fresh brew as the waitress set another place across from him. Gibbs continued to study his menu as she placed three hazelnut creamers and several packs of sugar on the table, presumably for DiNozzo; it was obvious that Rita had been following the same routine for a long time.

"So, what's good here besides the pie?" he asked.

"Well, Tony likes the Western Omelet with a side of bacon," she informed him. "He would tell you to stay away from the grits but I say if you put enough butter and sugar in them, they're not too bad."

"I think I'll pass on the grits," Gibbs quickly decided. "Go ahead and give me the Western Omelet without onions and go ahead and bring DiNozzo his usual."

He saw Rita jot down the order down on her notepad. "Got it. Anything else?"

"Nope. That should do it."

"I'll put your order right in."

"Thanks."

As he slipped the menu back in its original place, he hoped that Tony didn't mind that he had ordered for him. Gibbs realized that eating was the last thing on the detective's mind but he also knew from experience that if Tony planned on pursuing Waters, he was going to need his strength both physically and mentally. The death of his fiancée and the subsequent attempt on his life had affected the detective profoundly and Gibbs could appreciate the depth of his sorrow; but Tony had to bury his grief and focus on what he had to do in order to find peace for his former partner, his fiancée, and himself.

"Mr. Gibbs?" Rita called out, forcing him back to the present.

"I'm sorry," he apologized. "Did you say something?"

"No; you just seemed far away."

"I was just thinking," he sighed.

"I'm a good listener."

"I'm sure you are but I'm fine," Gibbs assured her. "I am worried about Tony; he's had a pretty rough night."

"What's wrong? Judging by the expression on your face, it can't be good."

Gibbs admired the waitress's uncanny ability to read a situation; because of the hand that fate had dealt Rita, she had to learn quickly how to assess people and was able to do so with great accuracy. She had a rare insight into Tony and he was counting on her fondness of DiNozzo to provide him with guidance on how to handle the young man.

"It's not. Tony's fiancée was murdered last night." He hated being the bearer of bad news but nonetheless, the job had fallen to him. Gibbs had a feeling that DiNozzo would want Rita to know what had happened; the two were close and she would be a good source of comfort for Tony.

"What?" Rita's expression was one of shock and disbelief. "Wendy's dead? What happened?"

Gibbs rose from his seat and pulled out a chair for the waitress. "Here, sit down," he insisted. The agent sat back down and took a sip of his coffee. "Drive by shooting; the cops think it's gang related but they're still investigating." He wasn't sure how much Rita actually knew about the circumstances that Tony was dealing with at work; Gibbs had decided that he would let DiNozzo answer Rita's question in as much depth as he felt necessary.

He was grateful that Rita sensed his reluctance to break Tony's confidence; she was more concern about DiNozzo than the details of the shooting. "How's Tony doing?" Rita wanted to know. "He must be devastated."

"It hit him hard at first, but he's managing to hold it together," Gibbs admitted.

"How?"

The agent handed her his handkerchief so that she could wipe her tears. "The same way you've held it together all these years; because he has to."

"I don't understand how this could happen. They were so in love and happy; I can't believe she's gone."

"It's going to take a while for him to accept it." Gibbs was speaking from experience, but that was one experience that he couldn't share.

"I don't think it's something that you can ever accept, you just learn to take it day by day and live so that you can make them proud."

Gibbs gently squeezed Rita's hand. "Well said."

"Is that what you've learned to do, Agent Gibbs?"

He suddenly found the contents of his coffee cup extremely interesting; Gibbs wasn't sure how Rita had known that he had endured a significant loss in his life, but she had managed to see past the wall that normally guarded his soul.

"I'm sorry," Rita apologized. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

"Don't worry about it. You're a very perceptive lady."

"My husband always said the same thing; he could never hide anything from me either," she pointed out.

"I can see why," he quipped.

"I didn't mean to bring up the past because I believe that you can't change it, but your eyes are so sad. I recognize it all too well; I see the same expression in my eyes every time I look in the mirror."

Gibbs was amazed at this woman who was willing to share her heart with him. He was for all purposes a stranger, yet it didn't prevent her from sharing part of herself in order to make him realize that he wasn't alone in his suffering. Now it was up to them to show DiNozzo that he wasn't alone in his grief and that he could move on past the pain caused by the empty void in his life.

He smiled at the waitress. "I'm glad Tony has you in his corner."

"And now he has you."

"Yeah."

Rita stood up and smoothed out her apron. "I better get your order in; you gentleman can't work on an empty stomach."

"I appreciate it."

The woman leaned over and kissed Gibbs on top of the head. "You're a special man, Agent Gibbs; I'm glad you're going to be looking out for my Tony."

As Rita headed towards the kitchen, Gibbs opened the file and began to go over the evidence they had gathered, looking for anything that they might have missed the first time. He doubted that he'd find anything new; DiNozzo had done a good job and had paid great attention to all the details, but sometimes a fresh pair of eyes could see something new.

"Sorry I'm late."

He looked up to see Tony sitting down across from him; it was obvious by DiNozzo's haggard appearance that the man had gotten very little sleep, if any at all. Gibbs couldn't blame him; the nightmare of last night was haunting DiNozzo and he wasn't sure how to vanquish those ghosts. Fine lines of exhaustion were etched in his face and a days worth of stubble adorned his normally clean shaven face.

"It's all right," he assured Tony. "I haven't been here long."

Tony nodded towards the two cups sitting on the table. "I see Rita's been by."

"Yep."

"Have you ordered breakfast?" Tony asked.

"Yep, for both of us."

The detective shook his head. "I'm not hungry, Gibbs. I don't think my stomach can handle food right now."

Gibbs had already expected that argument from Tony. "You need to eat."

"It'll just come back up."

"At least try."

Tony merely shrugged, as he proceeded to add the sweetener to his coffee. "Did you tell Rita about Wendy?"

"Yeah." He wasn't sure how Tony would react to him telling the waitress such personal news, but he hoped that DiNozzo would understand that he was trying to help him bear a painful burden.

"Thanks. I uh…thanks."

"No problem."

"I didn't give her any details; I wasn't sure exactly how much she knows."

"She probably knows more than I give her credit for; she doesn't miss much," Tony said.

"Tell me about it."

Tony took a drink of his hot coffee. "I don't even know all the details yet. I…"

Their conversation was interrupted by a blur as Rita rushed over and embraced Tony. Gibbs bowed his head, giving the two friends a moment of privacy. He was glad that the kindhearted woman had taken such a maternal interest in DiNozzo; Gibbs couldn't help but wonder about Tony's parents and why he hadn't sought comfort from them. Maybe one day, he would find out the reason.

"Tony, I'm so sorry about Wendy," Rita soothed.

"Thanks," he quietly answered.

"What can I do?"

Tony shook his head. "Nothing. At least not right now," the detective added.

"You just remember that I'm here for you," the waitress gently reminded him as she stood to her full height. "Your breakfast will be out shortly; call me if you need anything."

"I will," Tony promised.

Gibbs' heart was aching for the man sitting across from him; although Tony was holding himself together, he knew from experience that it was taking every ounce of resolve that DiNozzo had within him not to fall apart. He admired the dark haired detective for his determination and tenacity but he couldn't help but wonder how much more DiNozzo was going to be able to bear. Everyone had their breaking point, even a hard ass Marine like him; he just hoped that when Tony reached that point, the detective realized that there were people who were willing to help him back from the chasm that threatened to engulf him.

The agent cleared his throat, purposefully disrupting the silence that had seemingly surrounded their table. "After breakfast, we'll go by NCIS and see what Ducky has for us. He pretty much confirmed what you said about the murders but he was waiting on a couple of other tests."

"Your ME doesn't waste any time, does he?"

"Nope. He's the best I've worked with; he knows his stuff."

"That's obvious. I waited nearly a week for a preliminary autopsy on the Milner's and I still haven't heard back from the evidence I sent to the lab. Sometimes it sucks being on Waters' bad side; he's got a lot of people backing him up and I'm pretty much the lone ranger. Of course, the Lone Ranger had a really cool horse, so I don't guess it's all bad."

"He also had a loyal partner," Gibbs pointed out.

"Yeah, well; I guess he's one up on me."

Gibbs noticed the slight flush in Tony's cheeks as the detective began to apologize profusely. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean that the way it sounded; I meant that Drew's dead and…"

The agent shook his head. "You don't have to apologize. I know what you meant but I want you to know that while we're working together, I've got your back."

"Evidently that's a dangerous place to be."

"You let me worry about that. Right now, we're going to crack this case open so we can concentrate on bringing Waters' down."

"Like I've said before, this isn't your fight, Gibbs. I can't deal with having your blood on my hands as well."

"I can take care of myself," he declared.

"I know you can and so can I."

"But it doesn't hurt to ask for help every once in a while."

This was a lesson that he had been forced to learn as well and unfortunately, it had been a hard one to learn; he wanted to save Tony some of the pain and humiliation that he had had suffered because he had refused to let his friends help him in his time of need.

"Gibbs, I…"

Gibbs waited for Tony to continue his thought but judging by the expression on DiNozzo's face, something else was now vying for his attention. He followed Tony's gaze, his eyes coming to rest on the imposing figure of Captain Waters standing in the doorway. The agent felt his blood begin to boil as he struggled to keep a tight rein on his temper.

He sensed Tony's conflicting emotions as the Captain purposefully made his way over to them. DiNozzo bristled as Waters approached, not out of fear but out of hate; Gibbs realized that Tony was practicing amazing restraint by not lashing out at the man who had ordered the death of his fiancée.

"Detective DiNozzo," Waters quietly greeted.

"What do you want?" Tony asked, his jaw tightly clenched.

"I need a word with you," the Captain firmly insisted.

"This isn't a good time," Gibbs interjected. "We're very busy."

"It will only take a moment."

Before Gibbs could reply, Tony had agreed to the Captain's request. "Gibbs, could you excuse us for a few minutes?"

The agent leaned towards the detective. "Tony, you don't have to do this."

"I'll be fine."

He was aware of the fact that there would be no use arguing with the younger man; once DiNozzo had made up his mind, there was no changing it. Gibbs could easily relate to Tony's stubbornness; he had been accused of being obstinate a few times over the years.

Although he couldn't stop Tony from talking to Waters, he would still fulfill his promise to watch DiNozzo's six; Gibbs wasn't about to let either man out of his sight. "I'll be over by the counter."

Tony acknowledged him with a slight nod. Gibbs rose from his seat, his eyes locking with the murderous glare of the Captain. He knew that Waters was scared and that fear could either break a man or make him even more dangerous. The Captain would bear close watching; his reign of terror would be coming to an end soon and Waters would not go down without a fight.

Whatever intentions Waters had of taking Tony down with him were never going to come to fruition; Gibbs would make sure of that. DiNozzo had endured more than most men his age; the losses that he had experienced in the past couple of months were enough to unravel the strongest of men. However, Tony was remaining strong for now, but the time would come when the detective's strength would waver and then Gibbs would be there to help him pick up the pieces and move on.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Tony clenched his fists in an effort to control the tremor that had taken up residence in his hands; he wasn't sure if the shaking was stemming from the rage that was consuming him or the temptation of beating Waters within an inch of life, but Tony knew that he had to force himself to remain calm and stay focused if he were going to bring the Captain to his knees. He could almost hear Gibbs silently encouraging him to stay strong; that was not going to be an easy task considering that he was drawing on the last of his already depleted reserves.

"Maybe we should go somewhere private," Waters suggested, shattering the strained silence between them.

"Why?" Tony challenged. "So your guy can shoot me instead of my car?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Rolling his eyes, Tony testily retorted, "Of course you don't."

He kicked the chair opposite him out from under the table and gestured for Waters to have a seat. "I'm not going anywhere with you," Tony growled. "If you want to talk to me, sit down."

"All right," Waters conceded as he sat down.

"What do you want?"

"I uh…heard about your fiancée," the Captain began. "If there's anything that I can do…"

"Don't even go there," Tony warned. "I think you've done enough. Don't think for a minute that I've forgotten the fact that you threatened her and a few hours later, she's dead; I don't believe in coincidences and neither will the judge. I know you're behind Wendy's murder and I _will_ prove it."

Tony didn't flinch when Waters leaned towards him; the mutual hatred radiating from the two men's eyes reflected the deep level of animosity that they felt towards each other. "Let me tell you something, Detective DiNozzo," the Captain seethed. "I don't know what it's going to take for you to get it through that thick head of yours that you need to drop this investigation; you've all but ruined your reputation at the precinct and you're putting innocent people's lives on the line. First it was your fiancée; who's going to be next? How about your waitress friend or her son? What about Agent Gibbs? He's seemingly appointed himself as your protector; he probably should watch his own back."

He swallowed the bile that was collecting in the back of his throat. Waters was doing his best to convince him to simply walk away; Tony had to admit that it would be easier but then there would be no redemption for Drew or Wendy. He had vowed to see this through to the end but was the cost going to be worth it? Sometimes there was a high price to being right.

"You have a problem, you deal with me," he demanded. "_I'm_ the one who's coming after you and _I'm_ the one who's going to destroy you."

"Not if I destroy you first."

"You can try; hell, you've already tried," Tony exclaimed. "But I'm like a bad penny; I just keep turning up."

"This fight is between you and me, I suggest that you remind Agent Gibbs that he doesn't need to be sticking his nose in where it doesn't belong."

Puzzled, Tony asked, "What are you talking about?"

"He didn't tell you?" Waters smugly inquired.

Tony wanted nothing more than to wipe that irritating smirk off of the Captain's face. "Tell me what?"

"He came to see me this morning. It seems that you've made quite the impression on Agent Gibbs; in fact, he seems more than ready to take up your cause. I don't like strangers meddling in my affairs."

He wasn't sure how he felt about Gibbs going to see Waters; Tony understood the agent's reasoning but the detective wished that the agent would simply let him deal with Waters. "Agent Gibbs has a mind of his own. I don't control what he does or who he talks to, but it's pretty obvious that whatever he said has you rattled or you wouldn't have come looking for me."

Judging by the soured expression on the Captain's face, he had struck a nerve. "I came to ask you one last time to back off," Waters demanded.

"Turn yourself in and I will."

"That's not going to happen; not without a fight."

"Then we don't have anything more to talk about."

"I think we do."

Tony pushed back his chair and picked up the files on the table. "Let me rephrase that; I'm done listening."

Papers scattered everywhere when Waters grabbed Tony's arm. The younger man dropped the file folders and took a swing at the Captain. The fury that had been continuously building inside him had to be released; Tony indicated no remorse as his fist connected with Waters' jaw. He stood ready as the older man picked himself up off the floor. Tony drew back to deliver another blow but suddenly found himself being pulled away from the Captain.

"Take it easy, DiNozzo," Gibbs barked, stepping in between him and Waters.

"Let me go, Gibbs!"

"No! You cool down! You're playing into his hands!" the agent pointed out.

Tony knew that Gibbs was right; he was giving Waters ammunition against him and DiNozzo knew from experience that the Captain would use it without hesitation. He turned away from Waters and began picking up the papers that were now littering the floor.

"You'll pay for that, DiNozzo!" Waters roared as he stormed out of the diner.

"What else is new?" he murmured to himself.

Gibbs had knelt down beside him and was helping him pick up the papers and place them back in the appropriate file folder. Tony was glad that Gibbs had elected to let him simmer instead of trying to placate him with well meaning words that did nothing to alleviate the pain that he was still carrying in his heart.

After getting the files back in order, Tony set them down on the table and fell into the nearest chair. Exhaustion crept through every muscle and fiber but he knew he couldn't afford to take the time he needed to recuperate; he had to get the closure that he needed so he could lay to rest the souls of Drew and Wendy.

Lost in his thoughts, Tony vaguely heard Gibbs asking Rita to make their order to go. He considered it to be a futile gesture; there was no way that his stomach was going to be able to tolerate food now.

"Come on," Gibbs quietly urged. "Let's head over to NCIS and see what Ducky's come up with."

Tony glanced up at the agent. He wished that he could figure out Gibbs' motivation in helping him but Tony knew that it was quite possible that he would never discern what made the agent tick. "You shouldn't have gone to see Waters this morning."

Gibbs shrugged as he extended his hand. Tony grabbed onto it and allowed the former Marine to pull him to his feet. "I just wanted him to know that I've got your back."

"Yeah, well, now you're on his list too."

"Wouldn't be the first list I've ever been on and I'm sure it won't be the last."

"I imagine with that winning personality of yours that you're on a lot of people's list," Tony tiredly quipped. "Still, I need you to stay away from Waters. Please."

"Only if you keep your distance as well."

Tony shrugged. "He came looking for me this morning."

"I know; just watch your step around him. He's not going to be happy about that shiner that he'll be sporting."

Gibbs grabbed their breakfast and paid, leaving Rita a generous tip. "You're learning, Gibbs," Tony teased.

The detective gave the waitress a kiss on the cheek and promised to check in with her later. As the two men headed outside, they made their way to their cars. Tony was going to follow Gibbs over to NCIS and he had to admit that he was excited about seeing the federal building; ever since meeting the Navy cop, he had briefly wondered what it would be like to work for NCIS, but after everything that had happened, Tony knew that he'd be lucky to get a job writing parking tickets.

Gibbs jogged over to his car and told him that he was going back into the diner for another cup of coffee. Tony was beginning to believe that coffee ran through Gibbs' veins. Just as the agent was crossing the street to head in the coffee shop, an explosion tore through the tiny restaurant, sending the older man flying through the air.

Tony jumped out of his car and ran towards Gibbs' motionless form lying on the asphalt. Horns were blaring and people were screaming but the detective somehow managed to drown out those heart wrenching sounds.

Ignoring the biting pain in his knees as he slid on the pavement, he knelt beside the injured agent. Unable to tell how badly Gibbs was hurt, he called out to the older man. "Gibbs! Gibbs! Can you hear me?"

"Yeah," Gibbs moaned as he rolled over on his back.

"Don't move around," Tony ordered, or at least he thought it was his voice that had insisted that Gibbs remain still.

"I'm fine."

"I've already used that line today and it didn't work for me. Take it easy."

Tony's eyes were drawn to the fire that was beginning to consume the diner. "Rita!"

Glancing around, he motioned for one of the onlookers to join him. Flashing his badge, he instructed the stranger to stay with Gibbs until an ambulance arrived. Without thinking of his own safety, Tony stood up and made a dash towards what used to be the front door. "Rita!" he bellowed in an effort to be heard over the crackling flames. "Rita!"

Pulling out his handkerchief, he placed it over his mouth and nose and entered the ruins of the diner. Rita had to be all right, at least that was the mantra that he kept repeating; he just hoped that his prayer reached God's ears or else he would have another death on his hands.

**So, was it long enough for you guys? I'm sorry but I didn't have a good place to stop until the explosion, but don't worry; I won't leave you hanging for too long. Anyway, thank you guys for sticking with this story! I am so appreciative of the kind words and the encouragement; you all truly inspire me to keep writing. Anyway, have a great weekend and I plan to do some relaxing and writing! **


	9. Chapter 9

Part 9

Gibbs brushed off the ministrations of the bystander whom Tony had commandeered to watch over him until the EMT's arrived; judging by the look of relief on the stranger's face, he was more than ready to be rid of the responsibility thrust upon him. After a quick once over, the agent surmised that nothing was broken and aside from a few cuts and bruises, he had managed to escape serious injury. Pulling out his handkerchief, he dabbed at the laceration on his head that was oozing blood. He knew from experience that most head wounds tended to bleed freely, so the amount of blood wasn't a great concern to him; Gibbs had other things on his mind like finding DiNozzo, who had gone back into the diner to find Rita.

He struggled to his feet and stumbled towards the ruins of the diner. Several onlookers attempted to restrain Gibbs in order to prevent him from entering the restaurant but he managed to pull free; he had to make sure that DiNozzo was all right and no one was going to stop him. Although he couldn't explain the familial bond that was apparently forming between the two of them, Gibbs wasn't prepared for it to be severed before their friendship had a chance to grow.

The agent reached what was left of the entrance of the restaurant and tried to peer inside, straining to see through the flames and smoke. "DiNozzo!" he bellowed, hoping that he could be heard over the chaos of the destruction. Desperation began to consume him as he continued to call out for the detective. He was yelling so loudly that he had barely heard his own name being called from the crowd that had gathered on the streets.

"Agent Gibbs! Agent Gibbs!"

Gibbs turned at the sound of the panicked voice to see Rita running towards him. He pulled her close as she fell in his arms, looking a little worse for wear but alive; although he was glad that she was safe, he knew that DiNozzo was still in the diner looking for her and that thought pulled the knot in his stomach even tighter. Carefully moving her away from the devastation, he sat her down on the ground; holding her by the shoulders, Gibbs forced her to focus on what he was saying.

"How many other people were in the diner?" he asked, his voice betraying the increasing anxiety that he felt at the moment.

"Just the cook," Rita informed him. "The only other customers left right before you and Tony did. I had just gone out back to the dumpster to take the trash out and…" Realization dawned upon her as she suddenly began looking around the street; her expression was one of dread and fear. "Where's Tony?"

He glanced over his shoulder at the burning building; Tony had yet to come out and Gibbs knew that the longer that DiNozzo stayed in that deathtrap, the greater the chance that he wouldn't make it out alive. Giving Rita's shoulder a squeeze, he rose to his feet in order to head back into the building that was quickly becoming an inferno. "Stay here, I'll be right back."

"Oh my…he's inside the diner? He went to look for me, didn't he?"

Not wanting to add to her distress or guilt, Gibbs simply replied, "Yeah."

Offering no further explanation, he ran towards the entrance in hopes of finding DiNozzo. His path was blocked by two firemen who refused to permit him to enter the diner.

"I'm sorry, sir; you can't go in there," the first firemen informed him.

"My partner is in there," Gibbs declared, as if those five words explained his reason for facing the flames.

"We're getting ready to do a sweep," the second fireman stated. "We'll find him."

"But I…"

"We can't let you go in there. The longer that you stand here and argue with us, the more of a chance that your partner and whoever else is in there is going to die. Other than your partner, is there anyone else in there?'

"A cook," Gibbs answered.

Both firemen acknowledged him with a curt nod; Gibbs took a couple of steps back, his gaze fixed to the door as he willed DiNozzo to appear. "Come on, DiNozzo; it can't end like this," he mumbled to himself. "You can't give up; you've got a couple of promises to keep."

Just as the firefighters started to enter the diner, a familiar figure appeared in the doorway, caring another man over his shoulder. A smile danced on the agent's lips as he immediately recognized the soot covered detective. Two EMT's came running up and took the injured cook from Tony as Gibbs took DiNozzo by the arm and forced him to sit down on the curb.

"I couldn't…I couldn't find her, Gibbs," Tony rasped, his voice obviously affected by the smoke he had inhaled.

Gibbs cupped Tony's face in his calloused hands. "Listen to me," he urged. "Rita's all right. She wasn't in the diner when it exploded."

"What?"

"She was out back taking out the trash."

Relief flooded the younger man's features; Gibbs was grateful that he was able to be the bearer of good news for a change. If anyone needed a break from misfortune, it was Detective Anthony DiNozzo.

"Are you sure?" Tony asked.

"I'm sure." Gibbs nodded towards Rita, who was making her way over to them. "See for yourself."

"Tony!" Rita called out. "Are you all right?"

The agent stood up and allowed the two friends a moment of privacy. Gibbs noticed the slight tremor in Tony's hands as he hugged the waitress, the detective's nerves were shot; he had to admit that his were pretty much on edge as well but he had to remain in control. As he stared at the decimated diner, there wasn't a doubt in his mind who was responsible. He was as determined as DiNozzo to bring Captain Waters down and he would do everything in his power to help Tony get the justice that he so desperately sought.

However, justice was going to have to wait a few hours; both DiNozzo and Rita needed to go to the hospital to make sure that they were all right. As if on cue, two other paramedics approached them; Gibbs wiped the blood that was running down his face once again as he squinted to see the name tags on their uniforms.

"I'm Craig and this is John," the shorter of the two EMT's stated, saving him the trouble of figuring out who they were. "Looks like you guys could use some help."

"Yeah," Gibbs replied. "Detective DiNozzo pulled the cook out of the diner and it sounds like he swallowed some smoke and the lady has some nasty looking bruises."

"I can see that," Craig said. "How are you? You've got a pretty deep cut on your head. Are you experiencing any dizziness or nausea?"

"No."

"It looks like it's going to need stitches. We'll take all three of you in and I'm sure if there aren't any problems, you'll be home by dinner."

"I'm fine," Gibbs protested.

"If I have to go, you have…to go," Tony wheezed. "You can't go back to NCIS…looking like that; I don't want…your Director thinking that we didn't take…good care of you."

Gibbs didn't like the sound of Tony's voice; the young man definitely needed to get checked out. Getting treated himself wasn't part of the original plan but at least he would be able to keep an eye on Tony; after everything that had happened in the past several hours, he wasn't about to let DiNozzo out of his sight.

"We're all going, DiNozzo," Gibbs assured him.

"We'll just check you all out and if everything looks good, we'll load up and head towards the hospital," John said, kneeling down beside Tony and Rita. Gibbs permitted Craig to clean and bandage his forehead. The EMT had suggested that he might have a concussion, but he dismissed the diagnosis; he knew all too well what a concussion felt like and as far as he was concerned, the minor headache he was experience was nothing to worry about.

After the paramedics were finished with their brief examination, the agent got on one side of DiNozzo and Rita stood on the other as they helped Tony stand up. Escorted by the EMT's, the trio made their way towards the ambulance. Gibbs knew that DiNozzo was adding another layer of guilt onto his already unbearable burden. He wanted to help Tony carry his load, but he had a feeling that the detective would insist on finishing this alone using the excuse that he didn't want to endanger anyone else.

Gibbs wasn't one to be easily deterred. He was going to see this through and he would keep his word to watch Tony's six; DiNozzo was not only a good cop, he was a good person and he didn't deserve what was happening to him. The agent would stand by DiNozzo for as long as it took for the younger man to learn that he could trust him unconditionally. It was going to be a difficult road but Gibbs was prepared for the journey; he just hoped that DiNozzo had it within him to survive the trip.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Tony was relieved that he was finally alone. The ride in the ambulance had been taxing on his frayed nerves as Gibbs and Rita had tried to talk to him but his answers came in monosyllabic grunts. He knew that they were trying to convince him that the explosion wasn't his fault but all the platitudes in the world weren't going to convince him otherwise. At least Rita was alive and that's all that mattered to him. He didn't have her blood on his hands, but he wasn't so sure that he could come out of this completely innocent of any bloodshed; Tony still had not heard anything regarding the condition of the cook that he had managed to pull out of the fire.

When the paramedics placed him on oxygen, it saved him from having to speak at all. Gibbs and Rita had reluctantly given up trying to talk to him, each of them coming to the realization that their words were falling on deaf ears. He heard Gibbs calling Ducky and telling him what had happened; Tony did his best to block out the sound of the agent's voice so he didn't have to relive the horror of the past hour. He simply wanted to forget everything that had happened but unfortunately, his guilt prevented him achieving that state of euphoria.

After they had arrived at the hospital, each of them had been whisked into separate rooms. Aside from answering a few simple questions that the doctor had asked him, Tony remained silent. Guilt and sorrow were consuming him as his mind raced for a way to link the explosion to Waters; the Captain was digging his own grave and Tony was going to be all too happy to put the nails in his coffin.

After a myriad of tests, an IV was started and the oxygen mask was replaced with a nasal canula. When he had inquired about Gibbs and Rita, he had been told that the waitress was doing well and the NCIS agent had needed some stitches; both of them were going to be released in a few hours. He was then instructed to rest and the doctor would decide in a few hours if he could be released as well. Tony had already made the decision; he planned on being out of the hospital within a couple of hours as soon as he could figure out how to get some new clothes.

He threw his arm over his eyes, blocking out the light that was exacerbating the pounding in his head, which he was told was a side effect of the smoke he had inhaled. The peace and quiet that he had craved was suddenly shattered by the sound of the door hitting the wall as someone burst into his room. As he sat up to see whom his visitor was, he silently chastised himself for letting his guard down; Tony couldn't afford to be so careless, especially when so much was at stake.

Tony had almost expected Waters or one of his men but he was surprised to see a young woman standing before him. She was oddly beautiful, her fair complexion and dark pigtails seemed to compliment her fitted black t-shirt and plaid miniskirt; the dog collar and the tattoos seemed to contradict the air of innocence that she seemingly portrayed. "Can I help you?" he managed to ask, taken back by the gravelly sound of voice.

She stared at him, uncertainty evident in her expressive eyes. "You're not Gibbs."

Clearing his throat, he replied, "No, I'm not. I'm Tony DiNozzo."

"Where's Gibbs?" she demanded to know. "The nurse told me that he would be in this room."

"Well obviously, he's not," Tony testily countered.

Her expression softened slightly at the harsh tone his voice had taken. He really didn't mean to sound so harsh, but at the moment, he couldn't handle the bundle of energy that seemed to encompass the enigmatic woman.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to sound so pushy," she apologized. "It's just that when it comes to Gibbs, I get a little uptight when I hear that he's been hurt."

"It's okay; just for the record, Gibbs is okay."

"How do you know that?"

"The doctor told me that he just had to have some stitches and…" It dawned on Tony that he had no idea whom he was talking to. "I'm sorry; I didn't catch your name."

"Abby. I'm Abby Scuito."

Exhausted, Tony blew out pent up breath as he lay back down on the bed; if he didn't have the strength to carry on a simple conversation, there was no way that the doctor would release him today. Whoever Abby Scuito was, she wasn't a threat to him; he easily recognized her gentle spirit and he knew that she wouldn't hurt him.

In a couple of steps, she was at his side, taking his hand in hers. "Are you all right?'

He shook his head. "No, but I will be."

"You're the detective Gibbs has been working with," Abby deduced.

"Yeah, that's me."

"It's nice to meet you."

"You too."

"So how do you know Gibbs? Ex-wife?"

Abby's laughter filled the room. "Nope. I work with Gibbs. Actually, I work for NCIS but Gibbs is my favorite agent and not because he's great at his job, which he is; but I really can't explain it other than to say that, well, he's Gibbs."

Somehow Tony's muddled brain followed Abby's logic. "Are you an agent?"

"No way; I'm a scientist."

Tony stared at her in disbelief. Abby definitely defied all the image of the stereotypical scientist that he had in school; if he had ever been fortunate enough to have a science teacher that looked like Abby, he might have actually studied. "You're a scientist?"

"Yeah," she cheerfully answered. "Cool, huh?"

"Cool," he agreed, not knowing what else to say.

"I'm a forensic scientist," Abby explained. "I have the most awesome job in the world! I love my job and I love my Gibbs; that's pretty much all there is to it. What about you?"

"There's not much to tell."

"I don't know about that. Maybe you could start by telling me why you're so sad," she gently urged.

Despite the fact that he felt at ease around the scientist, he wasn't prepared to divulge his life's story. "It's a long, sordid tale and I don't want to keep you from seeing Gibbs; I'm sure he'll be glad to see you."

Abby shrugged as she pulled up a chair. "He'll find me," she assured him. "Besides, it looks like you could use a friend."

"That could be dangerous."

"What could be dangerous?"

"Being my friend," he sullenly answered. "Gibbs tried and look where it got him; he was almost blown up because he was trying to help me. Maybe you could convince him to keep his distance."

"In case you haven't figured it out, nobody tells Gibbs what to do."

"Well somebody ought to; it's almost like he's got more guts than brains."

"Is that a fact, DiNozzo?"

Tony sometimes wondered if the Leroy Jethro Gibbs was a ghost in a past life; Gibbs' ability to suddenly appear out of nowhere unnerved him. He was grateful that he didn't have to answer right away; Abby had provided the distraction that he needed when she flung herself into Gibbs' arms.

"Gibbs!," Abby cried out. "Are you all right? Ducky told me what happened and I just had to come make sure that you were okay; I knew I wouldn't be able to concentrate until I saw you with my own two eyes and so when I was looking for you, I accidentally came in this room and you weren't here, but Tony was. Since I figured out that he was the detective you were working with, I thought we'd get acquainted; I want to make sure that he's looking out for you."

"We've got each other's backs," Gibbs asserted.

"That's good to know; I really think that he needs someone to watch his six."

Tony rolled his eyes, annoyed that Gibbs and Abby were talking about him like he wasn't in the room. He could recall his father and mother doing that to him as a young boy and it had made him feel as if he were insignificant in the grand scheme of things; maybe in all actuality, his life was inconsequential, but he didn't appreciate the constant reminder. "In case you haven't noticed, I'm right here."

"Oh, sorry Tony," Abby said as she once again took the chair that she had previously occupied. "What were we talking about? Oh yeah, you were talking about Gibbs and how…"

"Let's just change the subject for now."

"Good idea, DiNozzo," the agent agreed.

"Have you seen Rita?" he wanted to know.

"She's waiting outside; she's anxious to see you."

"Is Rita your girlfriend?"

Tony paled at the reminder of Wendy. He didn't blame Abby for what she had said; she didn't know that his fiancée had just died but the pain was still all too real. "No," he mumbled. "She's a good friend; another one that almost ended up dead because of me."

He closed his eyes, hoping that he could shut out the nightmare that had become his reality. It was a nightmare that Captain Waters had created and one that he had to somehow put an end to, but he was going to have to figure out a way to do it without anyone else getting hurt.

"DiNozzo," Gibbs called to him. "Abby and I are going to step outside so Rita can come see you; she's pretty worried about you."

"I'll see you later, Tony," Abby promised.

The detective graced her with a tired grin. "See ya, Abs." He was looking forward to seeing Abby again; he had a feeling that she could give him a fresh outlook on life and right now, he definitely needed one. Tony also knew that Gibbs would return and they would have to talk and that was one conversation he wasn't looking forward to, but he figured there was no way he could avoid it; Gibbs was probably the most stubborn man that he had ever met and it was going to be difficult to convince him just to walk away, but Tony couldn't let the man make anymore sacrifices for him.

"Hey, handsome."

Tony had to tamp down the flood of emotions that threatened to overwhelm him when he finally laid eyes on the waitress; he was so thankful that she was alive and he was determined that she wouldn't get caught in the crossfire again. "Hey," he greeted. "Are you sure you're all right?"

"I've got a clean bill of health from the doctor; I'm just waiting for my walking papers."

He made a mental note to make sure that any medical bills were sent to him; Rita didn't need the stress of an extra bill to try and pay when she could barely make ends meet as it was. "That's good. I'm hoping to get out of here soon as well."

Rita winked at him and brushed a lock of hair out off his forehead. "You're going to stay until the doctor tells you that you can go; you had to go and play the hero, but thanks to you, the doctor thinks Gus is going to be all right."

The dark haired detective was glad to hear the cook was going to live but that still didn't assuage his guilt. "That's good. I didn't know if…I didn't bother checking when I got him out; all I could think about was getting him out and trying to find you."

"I'm sorry I made you worry."

"Not your fault; it's mine."

"Honey, you can't blame yourself. You didn't cause the explosion; it was probably Gus's chili that caused it," Rita teased.

"Stop!" he growled. He had never used such a sharp tone with Rita but he had to make her understand the severity of the situation. "You don't have any idea what's going on; I've made a lot of people mad and they're trying to teach me a lesson using the people closest to me. First Wendy, then you and Gibbs; I can't take any more chances."

"What are you saying?" Rita asked.

Tony sat up and took her hand in his. "There's something I need to do and I can't take the chance that you're going to be caught in the fallout again. I want you to get away from Baltimore for a while."

"Tony, I can't afford…"

"I'll take care of everything. I just need to know that you're safe."

Rita pulled him into a tight hug. Tony suddenly missed his mother's rare embraces, but Rita was seemingly ready to fill that void. "I don't know what's been going on but I've known for a while that something's not been right at work. I'm not running scared, especially now."

"But…"

"You know there's no use arguing with me, Tony. You need your friends."

Tony knew that she was right on both accounts; arguing with her was futile and he did need his friends, especially since he didn't have many at the moment. It still didn't change the fact that he was worried for her and Gibbs' safety. Waters had wanted him to back off and he had refused; was his revenge worth the lives of the innocent?

For the first time since Drew's death, he was questioning his purpose; it wasn't a question on whether he should bring Waters down but how he should do it. The rage was burning in him and the only way to extinguish it was to make Waters pay for everything he had done; justice should be swift but unless he took matters in his own hands, it could be years before Waters paid with his life. What was he prepared to do? Was he prepared to sell his soul to make sure that the Captain truly suffered for the pain that he had caused?

Tony had never felt so lost in his life and this time, he wasn't sure that he'd be able to find his way home.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Gibbs should have known that Abby would show up at the hospital once Ducky informed her of the explosion; during the short time that the scientist had been at NCIS, she had earned a special place in his heart and he had somehow become a surrogate father to her. She was a brilliant scientist but it was her compassion for people that drew the agent to her.

Outside of DiNozzo's room, she carefully fingered the bandage on his forehead. "Are you sure that you're okay, Gibbs? Do you feel sick? Are you dizzy? Do you feel like you're going to pass out?"

"Yes, no, no, and no," Gibbs replied.

"But you could have been killed," she reminded him.

"But I wasn't. Besides, there are more pressing matters to deal with."

"But…"

He placed his finger on her lips and placed a kiss on her forehead. "I'm fine."

Abby nodded towards Tony's door. "What about him?"

Tony was a different story. The man had lost fiancée, been shot at, and was dealing with the knowledge that the explosion in the diner more than likely happened because he refused to back down from seeing justice done. "He's not doing too well," he honestly answered.

Gibbs gestured down the corridor. "Let's take a walk."

He offered his arm and she gladly took it as they made their way down the hall, safely out of DiNozzo's earshot. Although Tony was visiting with Rita, he was not going to take any chances that he might overhear them; he had learned not to underestimate the detective.

"He seems so sad, Gibbs," Abby quietly observed. "It's like he's lost his best friend."

"He has," he stated. Gibbs went on to explain the events of the past twenty four hours; if he was going to enlist her help, she needed to understand the mountain Tony had to climb.

Gibbs' revelation left Abby speechless. "I just want to hug him," she finally said.

"He could use more than one."

"I can't believe that he's even able to function; if it were me, I'd be a basket case. What can I do to help?" she wanted to know.

"I'm glad you asked. I'm getting some evidence transferred to you. I want you to analyze it; run every test you can think of and then some. DiNozzo's not getting any help on his case and we need to get this wrapped up so we can concentrate on taking down Waters. Ducky will bring you up to speed on the case; he should have both autopsy reports by now. Also, I'm going to have the evidence from the explosion transferred to you as well; I need someone I trust on this, not some half brained nitwit who tries to sabotage the investigation at every turn."

Abby stood talk and saluted him. "I'm on it, Bossman!"

Gibbs gave her another kiss, this time on the cheek. "I knew I could count on you, Abs!"

"Always."

"I've got one more favor, Abs."

"Anything for you, Gibbs."

"The doctor's reluctant to release DiNozzo today; he's hesitant about him being alone and quite frankly after the day's he already had, he needs to step back and catch his breath."

He knew that Tony wasn't going to be happy with being temporarily being put on the sideline, but Gibbs knew from experience that DiNozzo needed time to get his head on straight.

A smiled danced upon Abby's lips as if she was reading his mind. "Bring him to my lab! I'll take care of our boy."

"Our boy?"

"I figure that he must be pretty special if he's got you in Papa Bear mode."

"Papa Bear mode?" Gibbs inquired.

Abby nodded. "Yeah, you know when you get all protective over someone you care about; like when Agent Colby was giving me a hard time and you promised to kick his booty if he bothered me any more."

"I remember," Gibbs grinned. "I'll drop Tony by after the doctor releases him."

"I'll be waiting," she promised.

Gibbs watched her as she headed towards the elevator. He waved to her as she got in the lift and as the doors closed, he slowly began his trek back to Tony's room to have a conversation that he didn't want to have. The agent was concerned for DiNozzo, wondering how much more the man could take before he completely shattered.

It wasn't a question of strength or grit; DiNozzo had these two traits in abundance. However, sometimes when it came to the heart, all the strength and grit in the world couldn't keep it from breaking in two and when that level of desperation was achieved, a man no longer cared that he was responsible for his actions and that's when he became dangerous. Gibbs had a feeling that Tony was almost at his breaking point and if he didn't proceed carefully, things could take a deadly turn for all those involved.

**I didn't keep you waiting too long! As you can see, Rita is alive and well, so hopefully you guys can breathe easier! Thanks again for the incredible support of this story; your kind words of encouragement mean so much and I'm honored to have such wonderful readers! I hope you enjoyed the post! Off to work on another story! **


	10. Chapter 10

Part 10

Tony stared at the clock on the wall, wondering how much longer it was going to be before his doctor released him. His patience was wearing as thin as the sheet that covered his body and his anger was bubbling close to the surface; he had things that he needed to do and he was wasting precious time lying in a hospital bed while Captain Waters was more than likely plotting his next move. How many other people were going to be hurt before Waters was stopped? Tony knew that if had any say in the matter, no one else would suffer because of Waters' personal vendetta against him; the only exception would be Waters himself and the detective would take great pleasure in introducing the Captain to a new definition of pain.

Disgusted, Tony sat up and pulled out his IV. If no one was going to discharge him, he was going to walk out of the hospital against medical advice; it wouldn't be the first time that he had liberated himself from the clutches of the emergency room staff and as long as he had a career in law enforcement, it probably wouldn't be the last. He slowly shifted in the bed until his legs were dangling over the side, silently hoping that they would support his weight. Tony quelled the temptation to crawl back into bed and pull the covers over his head and sleep for two weeks, but he couldn't afford that luxury; time was no longer on his side. There would be time to rest when justice had been served.

He jumped at the sound of his door opening. The detective was usually not so easily startled but the stress of the past few months had left his nerves raw and bleeding; there were times that he wasn't sure he would be able to hold everything together, but somehow, he always managed to press forward.

Quickly schooling his features, he glanced up to see Gibbs entering his room. There was no mistaking the obvious displeasure etched in the agent's normally stoic expression; he figured the Navy cop would have something to say about his imminent departure but he had already made up his mind that he was leaving and no one was going to stop him.

"What do you think you're doing?" Gibbs wanted to know.

"Getting out of here."

"Really?"

"Yeah and don't try and stop me," he warned. "I've waited long enough and I keep getting the runaround, so I'm leaving."

"Are you sure you're up to it?"

"No, but I can't just stay here while…" Tony took a deep breath and blew it out. "While that arrogant bastard is out there plotting what he's going to do next."

"A few more hours won't make a difference," the agent attempted to reason.

Tony shakily stood to his feet. "You don't know that, Gibbs! In the past twenty-four hours, my fiancée has been murdered and three more people were almost killed because of me; you of all people should know that a few hours could mean the difference between life and death and I'm not willing to take that chance! He's got to be stopped!"

He tried to push past Gibbs, but unfortunately his will was stronger than his legs. Tony began to sink to the floor but calloused hands prevented him from falling. The detective reluctantly permitted the agent to help him back to the bed, where he sat motionless, hoping that the room would stop spinning.

"Thanks." Tony closed his eyes in an effort to control the dizziness that was plaguing him. "Just give me a minute, I'll be fine."

"Right."

Tony didn't miss the sarcastic tone that Gibbs voice had taken. He would have rolled his eyes at the older man's comment but at the moment, that miniscule action would have demanded too much energy and he didn't have any to spare. "Thanks for your vote of confidence," he grunted.

"I just spent the last twenty minutes convincing your doctor that he could release you and then you try and pull a hair brained stunt like leaving AMA; you're just proving the doctor's theory that you need to stay overnight."

"Maybe if someone had told me that you were…" Tony shook his head. "Never mind," he groaned. "So when can I get out of here?"

"Soon as you can get dressed."

"Can I have my clothes?"

"I don't think you want them; the nurse is bringing some scrubs for you to wear and then we'll stop by your place so you can shower and get cleaned up."

He had to admit that a hot shower sounded like a good idea. Maybe it would help remove the cobwebs out of his mind; if he was going to take down Waters, he was going to have to have a clear head. "That sounds good," he admitted. "I'm kind of tired smelling like smoke. Are you going home to change too?"

"Nah, I've got a change of clothes at the office."

"So, we're still going to NCIS?"

"Yep. I'm getting all the evidence from the two homicides and the bombing transferred to Abby," Gibbs informed him.

Although he had only briefly met the forensic scientist, he had easily sensed that her determination was complimented her brilliance. Tony had the feeling that with her help, they would find the answers they needed to solve the murders of the Griffon and Milner families; once those families could rest in peace, he could channel all his energy into taking down Waters.

"That's good," he tiredly replied. "Maybe we can finally get some answers."

"Abby's the best; if there's a clue in the evidence, she'll find it."

"I've only talked to her a few minutes but there's not a doubt in my mind that she's up to the task."

"Like I said, she's the best."

Tony stared at the agent as Gibbs acknowledged the compliment that had been directed towards the scientist. He had a feeling that the silver haired man was up to something; there was a streak of deviousness in the man that few knew about, but somehow he had picked up on it right away. "Something on your mind, Gibbs?"

"Not really."

"Not really? So that means that something _is_ bothering you. What is it?"

He wasn't sure that he should have asked that question. Tony had already learned that Gibbs was a man a few words, but when he did speak, the words he uttered demanded to be acted upon. The fact that he could read the older man so well that he knew that something was troubling him was unnerving; if he could read Gibbs then Gibbs could read him and Tony wasn't certain that he was prepared to let the agent see the man behind the mask.

Tony swallowed back the nausea that he had been constantly battling most of the morning as Gibbs sat down on the edge of his bed. He met Gibbs' piercing gaze, determined not to falter under the withering glare.

"I'm going to ask you something and I want an honest answer," Gibbs stated, his no nonsense tone demanding to hear the truth.

"About what?"

"What you're thinking."

He shrugged and blew out a frustrated breath. "I'm thinking about getting out of here."

"That much is obvious, but that's not what I meant and you know it."

"I'm fine, Gibbs."

"The hell you are."

The detective suddenly found the striped pattern of the wall fascinating. He had to remain focused, hiding the dark thoughts that were consuming him from the ever watchful eye of Leroy Jethro Gibbs. The agent was right; he wasn't fine, but Tony was not about to let the older man pull back the curtain that would expose his warring emotions.

"I said I was fine."

"And I'm telling you that you're not fine," Gibbs continued pressed.

Tony clenched his jaw in an attempt to bite back a sharp retort; he knew that Gibbs was trying to help him and while he wanted to trust the man, he couldn't afford to let someone get that close to him again. Tony hadn't been lying when he had told Abby that it was dangerous to be his friend; he had already lost his two best friends and he couldn't stand another death on his conscience.

"What do you want from me, Gibbs?"

"I want you to tell me what's going on inside that head of yours," Gibbs tersely insisted.

"You really don't want to know," Tony tried to reason, still refusing to meet Gibbs' gaze. "Because what I'm thinking about doing will more than likely ruin my life and my career, but right now, I'm having a hard time caring about anything except trying to figure out how I'm…"

"What?"

"How I'm going to kill Waters," he blurted out. Gibbs didn't seem surprised by revelation. Is this what Gibbs had expected to hear?

"Waters is going to get what's coming to him," Gibbs vowed.

"I know he is," Tony agreed, his voice surprisingly calm but possessing a deadly undertone.

"Tony, I know how you…"

His eyes narrowed as his eyes slowly came to rest on Gibbs' face. The agent was obviously wearing his own mask because at the moment, Tony couldn't begin to fathom the meaning behind the unreadable expression plastered on Gibbs' countenance. "Please don't say you know how I feel because you don't."

"I know exactly how you feel, DiNozzo. You feel that you have to get revenge for Drew and for Wendy, not mention for what happened at the diner; you can't eat or sleep and you have no desire to eat or sleep until you get your justice. You've reached an all time low and right now, you've got so much hate in you that you don't know how to climb out of that pit. You want justice but you're torn by how to obtain it; you think it's time for you to take matters in your own hands but there's a sense of morality holding you back. How's that for not knowing how you feel?"

Tony found himself speechless. Gibbs had somehow managed to describe the emotions churning within him with amazing accuracy; the only way that the agent could understand the turmoil he was experiencing was if he had experienced it as well. Unfortunately, he had a feeling that Gibbs was not going to reveal any more personal information to him at the moment; the NCIS agent just wanted him to remind him that he wasn't in this alone.

"I'm sorry," he apologized. "I didn't…I didn't mean to…" Why was it so hard to form a complete sentence? "I didn't mean to act like I was the only one who had ever lost somebody; I know I'm not. I just want this to be over and I want Waters to pay." Tony dug the palms of his hands into his eyes. "I want him to die in such a way that he's begging for mercy as he takes his last breath; mercy that Drew or Wendy didn't get and he won't get it either."

"He doesn't deserve it."

The detective was mildly surprised that Gibbs had agreed with him; this was the second cryptic remark that the other man had made, piquing Tony's curiosity about Gibbs' past. How could the agent condone or even understand the anger and the darkness that was emanating from him at the moment unless he had experienced it before. He knew that Gibbs had been married, but had there been someone else in his past that he had loved and lost? Tony doubted that he would ever find out about the Navy cop's past, especially since after the investigation, they would more than likely part ways.

Tony suddenly felt as if all the life had drained out of him. "I'm tired, Gibbs," he admitted.

"I know."

"I've got to finish this."

"_We_ will," Gibbs promised.

"How many times are we going to have this conversation, Gibbs? Today was too close; I'm not willing to take the chance with your life. Not again."

"It's not your decision, DiNozzo. I've got your six."

"Gibbs, I…"

Tony was too tired to argue any longer. He would simply bide his time and then when the opportunity presented itself, he would give Gibbs the slip and do what he had to do.

"What were you going to say, Tony?"

"Nothing; I'm just ready to get out of here."

He was grateful that Gibbs didn't press the issue; Tony wasn't in the best frame of mind and the last thing he wanted to do was say something that he would regret. Gibbs was trying to help him and although he was still reluctant to accept it, he was appreciative of the agent's support.

"I'll go see what the hold up is."

"Thanks. Hey Gibbs," he called out.

"Yeah?"

"Is Rita already gone?"

"Yeah, I had Agent Pacci take her home; Metro is placing a cop close by, so she should be okay."

Satisfied, he nodded his thanks again as Gibbs left him alone. He was too exhausted to organize his thoughts into coherent ideas; his mind was numb and at the moment, he didn't want to think about anything. The detective barely paid attention to the instructions given to him by the nurse that had come in a few minutes later with a pair of scrubs and his release papers; Tony knew that although he probably wouldn't be able to repeat what the nurse said, Gibbs, who was once again standing by his bedside, would be able to and would make sure that he followed the doctor's orders to the letter.

"Do you have any questions, Detective DiNozzo?" the nurse sweetly asked.

"Huh?" His cheeks flushed a bright crimson when he realized that he had been caught daydreaming. Tony silently chastised himself; he couldn't afford to become so distracted and complacent. "I mean, no. I don't have any questions."

"Then sign here."

Ignoring the glare of the NCIS agent standing beside him, he took the pen and shakily placed his signature on the designated line. "Thank you," he mumbled as he picked up the pair of scrubs lying on the foot of his bed; Tony wasn't thrilled at the thought of wearing the pale green material, but beggars couldn't be choosers.

After the nurse left, he carefully stood to his feet and slowly made his way over to the bathroom. "I'll be right back," he informed Gibbs, whose steely gaze was following his sluggish movements.

"I'll be right here, DiNozzo."

Tony nodded as he pulled the door closed behind him. He braced himself against the sink and studied the reflection in the mirror; the detective barely recognized the image staring back at him. It wasn't the stubble on his face or the fine lines of exhaustion etched in his sorrowful expression that disturbed him; it was his eyes that haunted him. His eyes were barren and desolate with the exception of the glimmer of hate flickering within the iris; this was the face of a stranger who had nothing left to lose.

He didn't like the man he was becoming but he felt powerless to stop the transformation; Tony knew that Wendy would not be happy that her death had turned him into a vigilante, but Waters needed to be stopped and he was the only one who could do it. Was it worth losing himself completely? Was it worth losing what little bit of his sanity that he had left?

The answer to his self imposed questions came to him quicker than he had expected; the only problem was that he didn't like the response his conscience had given him. Standing tall, he turned his back on his reflection and began changing into his scrubs. He had a lot of work to do and he had to create a flawless plan if he was going to take down Waters; nothing else mattered until his own brand of justice had been served.

There was only one roadblock to his plan and he was standing on the other side of the door. Tony had to admit that it was a comfort to have someone watching his six; Gibbs was determined to help him but the detective was afraid. He was scared to let anyone else get too close to him; Tony was tired of losing people and the only way to ensure self preservation was to rebuild that wall around his heart that had been torn down by those few that he had allowed to breach his defenses.

Couldn't Gibbs see that he was pushing him away to protect him? Throwing the gown he had changed out of onto the floor, he decided that he was going to have to try and convince Gibbs that it was in his best interest to stay clear of him. As he opened the door and studied the lines of determination etched in Gibbs' features, he immediately realized that he was about to take on an impossible task.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Abby was counting the minutes before Gibbs and Detective Anthony DiNozzo walked through the doors of her lab. She was trying to keep herself busy by beginning to sort through the evidence that had been transferred to her but truthfully, she was more excited about getting to know the enigmatic DiNozzo. The scientist had immediately been drawn to the young man; she wasn't sure what it was about Tony that had already endeared him to her, but given time, she would find out.

Gibbs had called and said that they had just left Tony's apartment and would be at NCIS in about twenty minutes; make that nineteen minutes. Hopefully, Gibbs would bring her a Caf-Pow; she had just finished her last one and if she was going to 'Tony sit', she was going to need all the energy she could muster. There wasn't a doubt in her mind that Tony would balk when he realized what she and Gibbs were up to, but it was for his own good.

With her music blaring in the background, she removed the last of the evidence of the two homicides that Gibbs and Tony were working on. It only took her a few seconds to decide on what she needed to do first. It was obvious that Baltimore PD had yet to run the blood samples to make sure that all the blood matched their victims; she wasn't sure as to why their forensic department was so inefficient, but she planned on mentioning it to Gibbs.

As she busied herself with the blood samples, she no longer paid attention to the time so when Gibbs and DiNozzo entered the lab, she would have been startled by their arrival had her Gibbs sense not been working overtime. "Hi Gibbs!"

Gibbs kissed her on the cheek and handed her a Caf-Pow. "You are the best," she exclaimed as she took a sip of her favorite drink.

"So what do have, Abs?" the agent asked.

"Seriously, Gibbs? I just got this stuff sorted and started running some tests. Do you believe that Baltimore PD didn't even run the blood samples? What were they thinking?"

"They were following orders," Tony interjected. "It was a way to get back at me."

Her heart nearly broke when she instantly realized that things were worse for DiNozzo than she had originally thought. He definitely needed a hug and as soon as Gibbs left him in her care, she would bestow several upon him.

"A way to get back at you? I don't understand."

"Let's just say I've made some enemies at the department and leave it at that," Tony suggested.

There was no mistaking the bitterness and anger in Tony's voice; standing before her was a man who had been forced to endure a lot of pain in his life but had apparently always managed to pick himself up off the ground and move on. Whatever pain was haunting him now was managing to destroy the soul of the detective and she couldn't let that happen. He was too good of a person to head down the path of destruction that he seemed to be travelling.

"You should just forget about Baltimore and come work for Gibbs. I mean, the Director's wanting him to get a team together and you two would make a great team; you'd probably become legendary and…"

"Abs!" Gibbs growled, forcing her to stop her rambling. Abby didn't take Gibbs' gruffness personally; in her opinion, it was only one of the things that she loved about him. She did tend to get carried away at times and it wasn't her place to offer DiNozzo a job, but she would definitely bring the possibility up again when Gibbs was out of earshot.

"Sorry, Gibbs," she mischievously grinned. "Anyway, I'm running those tests and I'm going to see what else I can do but I'm going to need some help."

She caught the tiny smile that escaped Gibbs' lips, indicating that he knew exactly what she was up to.

"DiNozzo, you help Abby while I go clean up," Gibbs ordered.

"Me?" Tony asked.

"Yep. I won't be long." Gibbs leaned over and gave her another kiss. "Keep him here," he mumbled under his breath.

"Gibbs," Tony began to protest. "I don't know anything about forensic science! I majored in physical education!"

"It's time you learned, DiNozzo."

In a couple of strides, Gibbs had left the lab, leaving the two of them alone. Abby smiled at the handsome detective as he stood there, confused as to what he should do. As he turned to follow Gibbs, Abby picked up her remote and locked the doors, effectively trapping the two of them together in the lab.

"What the…?"

Abby walked over and took Tony by the arm and escorted him back to the table the evidence was piled on. "Come into my parlor said the spider to the fly."

"For some reason, that makes me really nervous."

Abby laughed as she handed him a pair of gloves. "It should."

"Gibbs put you up to this, didn't he?" Tony challenged.

The scientist shrugged. "Does it matter? The point is that I need help and you're it."

"But…"

Abby could no longer resist the urge to hug the detective and she pulled Tony into tight embrace. She felt his whole body tense at her touch but the longer she held him, the more relaxed he became. After a few seconds, she allowed him to pull away. "You look like you needed a hug," she mused. "Besides, there's nothing wrong with a friend hugging another friend and there's nothing wrong with asking a friend for help. Keep that in mind, okay?"

"Abby, I…"

She placed her delicate fingers on his lips, silencing his protest. "We've got some work to do, DiNozzo; we better get busy."

Abby handed him her cup. "Here, you probably need this Caf-Pow more than I do."

Tony nodded his thanks and Abby leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. "I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship."

"Casablanca," Tony mumbled. "Nice."

"I love that movie."

"It's a classic. It was actually…" Tony swallowed hard. "It was actually Wendy's favorite movie."

"She had great taste."

"Yeah, she did."

"If you ever need to talk, I'm ready to listen. I know we just met but there are some people…"

"That you feel like you've known forever and you can tell them anything," Tony finished.

"Exactly."

"Thanks, Abby. I appreciate the offer and maybe later, I'll feel like talking; right now, I can't let myself think about her too much or I'll…"

"Fall apart?"

Tony nodded as he picked up a bag that contained a diamond ring belonging to Mrs. Griffon. Abby knew that he had to be thinking of Wendy and the wedding that never would be. She gently took it from his hands and laid it back on the table. Only time would heal a broken heart; she just hoped that DiNozzo would give himself that time. The newly proclaimed friends were interrupted by the ringing of Tony's cell phone.

She watched with interest as he glanced at the caller ID. "It's Wendy's dad," he mouthed as he answered the phone.

Abby turned off the music as she attempted to listen to the one sided conversation; it was pretty obvious by Tony's pained expression that whatever was being said was not doing anything but adding to the heavy burden that the detective was carrying. She had to do something; Abby hated to see her friend in such agony and as long as he was in her care, it was up to her to look out for him.

"What would Gibbs do?" she whispered to herself as she continued to watch Tony struggle to control his emotions.

Whatever was being said on the other end of the line was obviously tearing Tony apart, but DiNozzo had yet to shed a tear. She started to follow him as the detective entered her office but a shake of the head kept her feet planted by the evidence table. He wanted to have some privacy and he had that right; Tony had already had so much taken for him, she hated the thought of taking one more thing.

She had already decided that if he wasn't out of there in two minutes, she was going in and throwing his phone into a container of acid. It wasn't a great plan but it was the best she could come up with at the moment; besides, she knew that it was what Gibbs would do. Now that she thought about it, the agent would probably just take a hammer to the phone but the results would be the same and that's all that truly mattered.


	11. Chapter 11

Part 11

The last person Tony had wanted to talk to was Wendy's father, but his sense of obligation to them had demanded that he answer the phone. Although he was trying to temporarily bury his sorrow, he couldn't expect Wendy's parents to ignore their grief; they had just lost a daughter and Tony couldn't begin to imagine the heart wrenching agony that Al and June were experiencing. Unfortunately, they weren't calling him for comfort; they were calling him to cast blame. If he had only known the wounds he would incur by Al's sharp tongue, Tony would have simply hit the ignore button; unfortunately, his instincts had failed him and he had taken the call.

Tony barely uttered a hello before Al was literally screaming at him. In all the time that he had known the older man, he had never heard Al raise his voice; but now, there was no mistaking the anger and the hatred radiating from Wendy's father.

"You bastard! Why didn't you tell us?" Al demanded to know.

Confused by Al's behavior, Tony asked, "What? Why didn't I tell you what?"

He could hear June crying in the background which only added to the tension coursing through his body; his nerves were already on edge and the sound of Wendy's mother sobbing uncontrollably was enough to send him spiraling into a deep chasm. Tony heard Al trying to soothe June, but the crying only grew louder. "Al? Are you still there?"

"I'm still here," the older man barked.

"You didn't answer my question," he reminded Al, trying to keep his own tone at a quiet and respectable level. Nothing would be accomplished by yelling; it would only escalate an already volatile situation. "What is it that I supposedly didn't tell you?"

"You didn't tell us that Wendy's dead because of you. You said that the police thought she was the random victim of drive by shooting! You lied to us!"

Tony pinched the bridge of his nose. He couldn't deny that it was his fault that his fiancée was dead but he had yet to provide all the details of Wendy's death to her parents; Tony had wanted to talk to them face to face, not to offer them an excuse, but to face them and accept responsibility for what had happened to Wendy.

"Do you have nothing to say?" Al challenged.

"I'm…I'm sorry," he managed to reply. The words that escaped from his lips provided very little consolation; sorry was not going to bring Wendy back.

He stood up and slowly made his way to the far corner of the lab, where he could have a little more privacy. Even though Tony felt comfortable around Abby, she didn't need to hear what was turning out to be a heated argument with his former father-in-law to be. There was so much that he wanted to say, but he had no idea where to begin. "How did you…I mean how…

"How did we find out? Is that what you're trying to ask?"

"Yeah, I guess."

"We got a card in the mail."

"A card? From whom?" Tony had a feeling that he already knew who had sent them the card.

"We don't know; it wasn't signed. It was a sympathy card and…" 

"A sympathy card?" He knew without asking that Al would tell him what the card said; Tony realized that rage was dictating the words spewing out of her father's mouth and he deserved every hate filled word.

"Yes!" Al roared. "And do you know what it said, Tony? It said that it was due to your stubbornness and inability to drop an investigation that Wendy was killed. The letter also said that you had been warned that something was going to happen to her but evidently, you didn't take that threat serious enough because our daughter is dead! What were you thinking? What was so important that it was worth Wendy's life? She wasn't killed in a gang related murder or anything like that; she was killed because of your pride! Is that what happened?"

Tony leaned his forehead against the cool wall. "It sounds to me like you've already made up your mind. You don't need to hear my side."

"What could you possibly say that would justify our daughter being brutally murdered?"

He shook his head, knowing that Al couldn't see him. "Nothing," he rasped. "Nothing at all."

"I hope it's worth it, Tony. I hope that whatever it is your pursuing was worth Wendy dying."

"I begged her…I begged her to come home, but…she wouldn't."

"Then you should have gone to LA and brought her back yourself! You should be the one lying in the morgue!"

Tony choked back a sob. "Believe me, I'd trade places with her in a heartbeat."

"But you can't."

"No, I can't," he admitted. He cleared his throat as he stood to his full height; Tony couldn't afford to wallow in guilt, at least not right now. "I can't trade places with her but I can bring down the son of a bitch who's ultimately responsible for this."

"As far as we're concerned, _you're _the son of a bitch who's responsible. How can you live with yourself?"

"It's not as easy as you seem to think it is," Tony snapped. "Just remember, Al, you're not the only one who lost someone; I loved Wendy more than anything and the last thing she'd want would be for her death to destroy her family. Maybe you should think about that instead of trying to blame me. I know it was my fault and I'm going to have to live with that for the rest of my life, but I'm not going to let her death be in vain.

"I'm sorry you and June got dragged into the middle of this, but I don't have the energy to deal with you right now. I'm sorry that's the way it is; it's the way it has to be."

"You don't care! You don't care about anything except yourself!"

"No Al, my problem is I care too much."

Tony hung up on Wendy's father and flung the phone across the room, not caring when it shattered into several pieces; at least now he wouldn't have to put up with the random calls from Waters' men nor would he have to endure any more calls reminding him that Wendy's death was indeed his fault. He schooled his features as he heard Abby approaching him; Tony had almost forgotten that she was in the room with him and despite his attempts at maintaining his privacy, he was certain that she had at least heard the last part of his conversation with Al.

He exhaled slowly, trying to dismiss the tension from his body; it was a technique Wendy had taught him, but right now, the exercise was proving futile. Tony allowed the scientist to guide him over to a chair where she gently urged him to sit down; without uttering a word, she began to diligently massage the knots that had taken up permanent residence in shoulders. He wished that he could permit himself to relax and enjoy the magic that Abby's hands seemed to produce, but his mind was forbidding his body to let down its guard; there was so much to do and he didn't deserve the pleasure that he would normally derive from the act of kindness.

Tony started to get up but two hands firmly pushed him back down in the seat. "You're not going anywhere," Abby stated. "I'm not through with you yet."

"Abby, you don't have to do this; I'm fine."

"No you're not fine, especially after that last phone call."

"It was nothing."

It was that moment that Abby started working on a particularly stubborn knot. He flinched when her fingers dug into her flesh. "Ow! Take it easy!"

"Sorry."

"No, you're not. You did that on purpose."

The scientist shrugged. "I just don't like it when people break Abby's rule number one."

He rolled his eyes; Tony could barely keep up with Gibbs' rules, now he was going to have to learn Abby's rules as well.

"And what is Abby's rule number one?"

"Never lie to Abby," she declared. "Whatever Wendy's father said to you has really upset you."

Tony licked his lips as he replayed his conversation with Al in his mind. "They found out that I was responsible for Wendy's death. Someone sent them a card and told them that I was the reason she was murdered; I was eventually going to tell them but not right now."

"Who was the card from?"

"I have a pretty good idea."

"If you could get a hold of the card, I may be able to confirm your suspicion."

Tony laughed. "I didn't even ask them for the card; all I wanted to do was get off the phone. Al was yelling and June was crying in the background and I just couldn't take it. Besides, like I said, I have a good idea who it's from."

"What can I do to help?" Abby wanted to know.

He took her hands in his and lightly kissed them. "Just help me solve these murders so I can focus on what I need to do."

"I can do that," she vowed. "But don't be afraid to ask for help; you've got to trust somebody and I promise you that you can trust Gibbs and you and trust me."

"Thanks." Tony wondered if she had any idea what she was asking; trust was not something that he easily gave because as he learned from experience, it ultimately meant he was bound to be hurt again.

He tiredly smiled as she leaned over him and gave him a hug. "You're welcome, Tony," Abby replied. "Let's get back to work."

As he rose to his feet and followed the beautiful scientist back to the table where some of the evidence lay, Tony recalled how he had resented Gibbs at first for leaving him with Abby; he didn't need or want a babysitter but the NCIS agent obviously thought that he did. He had to admit that after his conversation with Al, he was glad that Abby had been around; she had helped him gain control of his emotions and recover his focus and he was grateful for her intervention. Maybe Gibbs knew what he was doing after all.

The detective had to admit that it was fascinating to watch Abby work; it was obvious that she loved what she did and took great pride in her work. Despite the constant distraction of his jumbled mind and his ever growing obsession of taking Waters down, she was managing to keep him semi interested in what she was doing and he had to admit that he was actually learning a little about forensics

The longer he spent with the scientist, the more he realized that Gibbs did indeed have his best interests in mind when he left him in Abby's capable hands. Tony needed time to pull himself together both mentally and physically and Gibbs had given him that time while Abby simultaneously provided him with something else to focus on. He had only been focusing on his desire for vengeance, nearly forgetting about the job he was supposed to be doing; the Milner and Griffon families deserved closure and he would not go back on his vow to bring justice to their families.

"I'm running a partial print that was found on the button of Mr. Milner's coat," Abby patiently explained. "It was in some of that evidence that the lab in Baltimore failed to process; you could have had a break in this case a long time ago."

"And the Griffon's would still be alive," Tony mused.

"It's a strong possibility."

"Those sons of bitches," he mumbled.

"I assume you're talking about your used to be friends who are your enemies now just because you're trying to do the right thing and they won't do their job or help you because they have orders from your Captain who will do anything to make your life miserable."

Tony grinned at Abby, who seemingly had summed up his relationship with the Baltimore Police Department in one breath. "That would be them," he stated.

"If you end up staying at Baltimore, which I doubt you will, but if you do and you have evidence that needs processed, you bring it to me," she insisted. "I'll always make time for you."

"Thanks."

"You're welcome."

His gaze was fixed on the computer screen before him as he watched and waited for a match to appear. It angered him beyond words as he realized the carelessness of his colleagues; as far as he was concerned, the Baltimore Police Department was responsible for the murder of the Griffon family. If the partial print came back with a positive ID, then this case would have been solved weeks ago and no one else would have needlessly died. Tony wondered what IA would have to say about that piece of information; of course, he was still waiting on them to act on the information that he'd already given them.

"You know, you should take Gibbs up on his job offer," Abby said.

"He hasn't offered me a job, Abs," Tony pointed out.

"Don't worry, he will."

"How do you know this?"

"I just know Gibbs."

"I'm still not getting my hopes up. I don't know what I'll do after this, but one thing's for sure; I won't be working for Baltimore PD any longer. I'm burning that bridge as soon as I can."

"You can stay with me until you find a place in D.C."

"Abby, I don't have a job yet."

"Do you bowl?"

"Yes, why?"

"Are you any good?"

"I'm not too bad."

"Okay."

Tony decided that it was going to take him a long time to figure out the scientist, but it was going to be a lot of fun trying to ascertain what made her tick; she was almost as complex a puzzle as Gibbs was but the agent was a bit more enigmatic. He wasn't sure if he could work for NCIS, but if Gibbs ever did offer him a job, he would have to consider it.

The sound of Abby's monitor beeping, indicating that a match had been found, pulled him out of his reverie. He looked over her shoulder to see a familiar face on the screen before him. Staring back at him was a person that he had seen on numerous occasions at the station; Josh Morgan, the son of Waters' right hand man, Lieutenant Paul Morgan, was identified as the owner of the partial fingerprint. Tony recalled that Josh had been in and out of trouble for years and because of his father's position in the department, most of the boy's misdemeanors had been swept under the carpet. If Josh Morgan was guilty of murder, it wouldn't be buried under mountains of paperwork or dismissed because of who his father was; Tony would make sure of that.

"You better call, Gibbs," he told Abby.

As if on cue, Abby unlocked the door and Gibbs entered the lab. "What do you got, Abs?"

Tony looked at both of them in amazement. "That's just too weird. How'd you do that?"

Abby smiled and took her Caf-Pow from the agent. "He's Gibbs."

He would have to accept her simple explanation for now as he turned his attention back to the screen. "Abby managed to pull a partial finger print off a button and it came up belonging to Josh Morgan, son of Lieutenant Morgan of Baltimore PD; he's Waters' right hand man."

"No wonder you were getting stonewalled. Let's bring him in for questioning."

"I'm right behind you, Boss; I mean, Gibbs." He winced at the slip up; the words had just come naturally and he hoped that Gibbs didn't hold it against him.

"Then let's go, DiNozzo."

"Hey Gibbs," Abby called out. "Can I talk to you for a second?"

"Can't it wait?" Gibbs asked.

"Not really."

Tony had a feeling that Abby was going to tell him about the phone call but at the moment, he really didn't care. A renewed sense of energy was flowing through him as the possibility of catching a killer became more real with every passing second. If Waters was covering for Morgan and Morgan was covering for his son, then the Captain and the Lieutenant would be facing a whole new set of problems.

"I'll uh..."

"Wait in the elevator," Gibbs ordered.

"In the elevator?"

"Yep."

Shrugging, he made his way to the elevator and pushed the emergency stop button so that he wouldn't have ride up and down the floors of NCIS. He found himself praying that for once, something would go right for him. This could be the break that he needed that would expose Waters and his men for what they were and once that was done, there would be no stopping him in exacting his revenge.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"What's up, Abs?" he inquired, knowing that Abby wouldn't have detained him unless she thought it was important.

"It's Tony," she replied.

He listened intently as Abby began to inform him about the phone call that Tony had received from his former father-in-law to be and DiNozzo's subsequent actions. Gibbs found himself growing increasingly angry not only with Wendy's parents but with Captain Waters as well. It was obvious who had sent the sympathy card and that it had achieved its goal of causing more stress for Tony by creating a riff between those who had loved Wendy.

Gibbs glanced over his shoulder at the elevator. "He seems okay now," he observed.

"He pulls himself together quite well," Abby stated. "Kind of like someone else I know."

"I have no idea who you're talking about."

The agent kissed her on the cheek and headed towards the elevator. "Thanks, Abs."

Abby planted her hands on her hips. "Gibbs, I wasn't done."

He stopped in mid stride and waited for her to join him; Gibbs had a feeling what was coming next.

"When are you going to offer Tony a job?" she wanted to know.

"I never said I was."

"You know you are; what's the hold up?"

"DiNozzo has enough on his mind; I'll bring it up when the time's right," he conceded.

He grinned when Abby hugged him and whispered in his ear. "Don't let this one go; he's a keeper."

Gibbs looked up to see the doors to the elevator open and DiNozzo standing there holding the doors open. Tony DiNozzo was a man who wanted to make a difference and he deserved that chance. He waved to Abby as he joined Tony on the elevator. "I don't intend to, Abs! Rule number five."

**And the plot thickens…things are coming to a head! Thanks so much for your continued support! You all are the most awesome readers in the world! I can't tell you how much I appreciate all the kind words and encouragement! Thanks again and I hope you enjoyed the post. **


	12. Chapter 12

Part 12

After their initial meeting, it hadn't taken Tony long to figure out that Gibbs was a man of few words and at the moment, he was grateful for the companionable silence that they had fallen into while they were staking out the Gold's gym waiting for Josh Morgan to arrive. His mind was still reeling from Abby's discovery and it was taking him a while to sort out his feelings.

Tony wasn't all that the surprised that Josh Morgan was possibly their killer; the boy had been in and out of trouble for years and had always assumed that he couldn't be touched because of his father's position in the police force. What bothered him was the fact that he could have been identified weeks ago and the Griffon family would still be alive; because of Waters' vendetta against him, the Captain's influence over the lab, and their misguided loyalties, evidence was never processed, leaving him feeling responsible for the death of the Griffons.

He realized that he had no reason to feel guilty but Tony couldn't help it. The detective had always taken things personally, a trait that had carried over from his childhood. Tony immediately pushed these thoughts back in the box that he kept them in; he had to focus on the task at hand so he could bring justice to the Milner and Griffon families.

"You sure he'll show?" Gibbs asked, forcing him out of his private musings.

"Yeah. I've seen him in here when I've been working out; he comes in every day like clockwork. His old man always complained that Josh was either with his girlfriend or at the gym so I figured it'd be easier to catch him here than try and track him down."

"That's good thinking, DiNozzo."

"Just a matter of observation and committing the obvious to memory for future reference."

"It's a skill that you can't really teach; you either have it or you don't," Gibbs pointed out.

Tony shrugged. "I did a lot of people watching while was growing up; I guess that particular habit kind of carried over in my job."

"Do you like being a cop?" Gibbs pointedly asked.

He turned and met the agent's questioning gaze. Was Gibbs trying to hint at something or was he simply making small talk? He quickly concluded that the older man had to be fishing for something and Tony was debating on whether or not he should take the bait. Recalling his and Abby's earlier conversation, he couldn't help but wonder if her prediction was coming true; perhaps Gibbs was considering the possibility of offering him a job.

"I uh…love being a cop. It's who I am; I'm not sure I could do anything else."

"Even after everything that's happened?"

"Yeah, even after losing my partner and losing Wendy," he quietly answered. "I think I would be failing them if I quit; I'd be letting myself down and I can't do that. Of course, lately, I will admit that the thought of doing something else has crossed my mind but then I realized it's not the job that was making me want to quit; it's all the crap with Waters that's getting to me and the fact that no one seems to care that he's getting away with murder. I just want to do my job but sometimes the lines get blurred if you know what I mean."

"I know what you mean."

Tony laid his head against the headrest as he continued to watch for Josh Morgan's arrival. Should he nibble at the line dangling in front of him? Was he sure that he was ready to take on the monumental task of rebuilding his life once again?

Clearing his throat, he forged ahead; he had to know what it was that Gibbs had to offer. "I don't think I can stay with Baltimore PD, especially after I nail Waters' ass to the wall."

Gibbs took a drink of his coffee. Tony had no idea how the man could drink so much coffee and be as calm as he was; maybe one day he would figure it out, provided the agent was indeed offering him a job.

"Any idea where you'll go?" the agent pressed.

"Not really; I may just try and get on somewhere in Virginia or maybe I'll just go to the other side of the country. I don't know," he sighed.

"Ever thought about D.C.?"

The detective tiredly grinned; he was about to knowingly swallow the bait, hook, line, and sinker. "Do you mean work for Metro?"

"Do I really have to spell it out for you, DiNozzo?"

Feigning surprise, he asked, "A Navy cop? You want me to be a Navy cop?"

"DiNozzo, you're a good cop; actually you're better than good," Gibbs stated. "You've got instincts that thirty year veterans don't have, you're a quick study and you're passionate about what you do; that's what I'm looking for. Are you interested?"

"Who'll be my boss?"

"You'll answer to me."

"So, like we'll be a team? Kind of like uh…Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid? Batman and Robin? Of course I'm talking about the Val Kilmer and Chris O'Donnell version because in my opinion, that's the best one, especially when you have Tommy Lee Jones playing Two Face. Tom and Jerry?"

"Something like that," Gibbs conceded.

Tony knew that he was going to have to make a fresh start and he had the opportunity to do so being handed to him on a silver platter. Abby had told him that he could trust Gibbs and the agent had proved that time and time again; maybe it was time that he proved _his_ faith, not only in Gibbs, but in himself as well.

"Agent Anthony DiNozzo." That didn't have quite the ring to it that he had expected. "Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo. That's a little better," he mused. "Very Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo." A satisfied grin spread across his face. "Now that's what I'm talking about."

"So, you'll take the job?" the agent wanted to know.

He sat up as Josh Morgan pulled into the parking lot. The young man wheeled his car into a parking space and cut off the engine; Tony waited until Josh opened the car door and then DiNozzo and Gibbs got out of the car and quickly made their way over to the suspect.

"Josh Morgan!" Tony called out as he flashed his badge.

As soon as he saw the two cops heading towards him, Josh started to run. Tony muttered a curse under his breath and began to chase after him. He glanced over his shoulder and saw Gibbs cutting down an intersecting street in order to intercept the fleeing suspect. "Why do they always run?" he panted as he continued to follow him down an alley. "I said freeze!"

Morgan refused to heed his warning, forcing Tony to lengthen his stride until he was about to overtake the man. As he leapt and tackled Josh, the detective was mumbled a quick thanks for his days of playing high school and college football. Placing his knee in Morgan's back, he pulled Josh's hands behind his back and slapped the cuffs on his wrists. "You got a hearing problem, Morgan?"

"You can't arrest me!" Josh protested.

"I hadn't planned on it. All I wanted to do was talk; you're the one who ran."

"You startled me; I thought you were some guy I owed money to."

Tony shook his head in disbelief as Gibbs approached them. "Really? Was that before or after you saw my badge? Besides, I know you've seen me at the precinct; you know exactly who I am so you can cut the crap."

"I know who you are and _you_ know who my father is."

"I sure do and just so he won't worry, I'm going to make sure that he knows exactly where you are," Tony promised. He was actually going to take great pleasure in making that particular phone call. Pulling Morgan off the ground, he handed Josh over to Gibbs, who escorted him back to the car.

Tony pulled out his cell phone and dialed Lieutenant Morgan's number. He knew that the officer wouldn't answer his call but he was more than wiling to leave a message. "Lieutenant, this is Detective DiNozzo. Just thought you'd want to know that your son is being brought in for questioning regarding his involvement in the murders of the Milner and Griffon families. He'll be at NCIS headquarters if you're interested and by the way, you might want to get him some legal representation. As a matter of fact, you might want to get yourself a lawyer as well."

He hung up and slipped his phone back in pocket while he jogged to catch up to Gibbs. When they reached the car, Tony opened the back door so Morgan could get in and then he sat down beside him.

"Can't you take the cuffs off?" Josh asked.

"I could if I had the keys but I lost them a long time ago."

"My father will have your badge."

"You know what? If you're the murdering son of a bitch that I've been looking for, he can have it. Of course, if I find out that your daddy's been covering for you, then my best guess is that Waters is covering for your dad and if that's the case, then I can kill three birds with one stone."

"You're crazy," Morgan spat.

"So I've been told."

Tony glanced up at Gibbs who was now in the front seat, a slight smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "You know, DiNozzo," the agent chimed in. "If you work for me, you'll probably be called a lot worse things than crazy."

"It's okay, Boss. I can handle it."

"Boss?"

"Kind of just came out. What should I call you?"

"That depends."

"On what?"

"Are you taking the job?"

Tony fastened his seat belt and settled in his seat, ignoring the daggers that were shooting at him from Morgan's eyes. "You know, Gibbs; being a Navy cop is looking better by the minute, but I've got something to take care of first."

"No, DiNozzo. _We_have something to take care of," Gibbs insisted. "You gotta remember, Tony; we're a team."

His partner's death had scarred him and he was reluctant to let any one get too close, but Gibbs was persistent in that he relentlessly chipped away at the wall that he had constructed around his soul. It was nice to have someone on his side for a change; the agent had promised to watch his back and so far he had kept his word.

"Thanks," he mumbled, overwhelmed by Gibbs' sentiment.

Tony actually felt a glimmer of hope welling up inside him. He glanced over at Josh Morgan and then back to Gibbs; he wanted to believe that his future was looking brighter and that he really wasn't alone anymore. Gibbs, Abby, and even Ducky were reaching out to him and all he had to do was to accept their offer of friendship and support. It was a chance to put the past behind him; although he had been forced to rebuild his life several times, he couldn't help but wonder if this time would be his last.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Lieutenant Morgan stormed into Captain Waters' office; he had just listened to the voice mail that DiNozzo had left for him stating that Josh had been taken into custody for questioning. He had spent his life protecting his son and compensating for him; now everything he had done was about to come back and haunt him in the worst way.

"We've got trouble," Morgan announced. "Josh has been taken into custody."

"What?" Waters rose from his seat and joined the Lieutenant on the other side of the desk.

"DiNozzo and Gibbs took in him for questioning," he repeated.

"Has Josh called you?"

Morgan shook his head. "Not yet."

"You better get down to NCIS and tell that boy to lawyer up."

"Is that the only advice that you've got? Don't you understand that if they find out that Josh is the one who…" The officer took a deep breath and blew it out. "We all could be in trouble."

"You said that you had taken care of everything," the Captain growled, the fury in his tone growing with every word he uttered. "_You_ said that you had the bases covered and that no one would ever know what Josh had done. _You_ were supposed to control him!"

"He promised me that he would stop!"

"Well, you better make sure that he keeps his mouth shut!"

The Lieutenant stood tall; Waters had been his ally for years and together, they had managed to make police work a lucrative business. However, he had the feeling that when it came down to it, the Captain was going to look out for himself; it would be up to him to protect Josh. If that's the way Waters wanted to play this hand, then he would ante up and call; his son was the world to him and he would do anything to save him even if it meant betraying one of his oldest friends.

"I'll take care of it," he vowed.

"Make sure you do."

Turning on his heels, he marched out of Waters' office and grabbed his jacket off the back of his chair. He was going down to NCIS to help his son and if he had to give DiNozzo the Captain's head on a silver platter to keep Josh from facing the death penalty, he would do it. Waters would regret the day that he turned his back on him and Josh; family came first and despite all they had been through, Captain Waters had proven that he wasn't family.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Gibbs and Tony stood side by side in observation, staring at the young man sitting alone in the interrogation room. The agent had insisted on letting Josh Morgan simmer for a few minutes before he went in and talked to him; of course, he also had to inform DiNozzo that he wouldn't be the one interrogating Morgan and he wasn't sure how the detective would take that news.

"Bastard's trying to make us think that he's got nothing to worry about," Tony observed.

"I'm about to give him something to worry about," Gibbs declared.

He felt Tony's gaze shift from their suspect to him. "_You__'__re_going to give him something to worry about? I thought that I was going to be the one to interrogate him."

"I think it's best if you observe this time." Gibbs knew he had to tread carefully. "He doesn't know me and that can work in our favor; if it doesn't work like I think it will, I'll bring you in."

Gibbs had expected a fight from Tony but either the detective was too tired to put up much of a fight or he actually saw the possible benefit of the agent making the first move. He figured that it was a combination of both factors that played into DiNozzo's decision, or maybe Tony was actually beginning to trust him.

"All right," Tony conceded. "I'll be waiting for your signal."

Tucking the file under his arm, with his coffee in one hand, he patted Tony on the shoulder and left the room. Schooling his features, he walked into the interrogation room, pulled out his chair and sat down across from Josh Morgan.

Placing the file in front of him, Gibbs opened the file and began to read out loud. "Two accounts of aggravated assault, three accounts of assault and battery, three accounts of driving under the influence, four accounts of possession of illegal narcotics, two accounts of armed robbery; shall I go on? You've got quite a record but yet you're not serving time; you must have one heck of a lawyer."

"You're going to find out exactly how good he is once he gets here," Josh vowed.

"Do you know why you're here?"

Morgan shrugged. "Detective DoRight said something about a couple of murders but I don't know what he's talking about it."

"I'm sure you don't." Gibbs pulled out the pictures of the Milner and Griffon families and spread them out in front of the young man. "Maybe these will jar your memory."

Gibbs studied Josh Morgan; there was a glimmer of recognition in his eyes as the kid perused the pictures. "See something familiar?" he pressed.

"I've uh…I've never seen them before," Josh lied.

"I've got a fingerprint that says otherwise."

"You brought me in here because of a fingerprint? That'll never hold up in court."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," Gibbs warned. "I promise you that I'll have enough evidence to bring you to trial, get you convicted, and more than likely given the death penalty."

"The death penalty?"

"Maryland has the death penalty," he reminded him. Gibbs leaned back in his chair waiting for Morgan to make the next move. He could sense that Josh was running scared and although he tried to put on a false bravado, Gibbs could see right through him. This was a kid who had never expected to get caught and now that he had been, Josh Morgan clearly realized that this was something that his father couldn't sweep under the rug.

"Am I being charged with something?" Josh demanded to know.

"Yep. Murder."

"I want my lawyer."

Without uttering another word, Gibbs gathered the pictures and placed them in the file. He pushed back his chair and went out into the hallway were Tony was already waiting for him. Judging by the grim expression on DiNozzo's face, he wasn't pleased with the fact that Morgan was formally asking for representation even though the request wasn't completely unexpected.

"He lawyered up," Tony stated.

"Yep. Kinda figured he would."

"So now what?"

"We wait until he talks to his lawyer."

Tony slumped against the wall. "I hate waiting."

"So do I."

"Do you want to take his phone to him so he can make his phone call?"

"I'm sure his dad has already made the call."

"He's _entitled_ to make a call," Gibbs pointed out, hoping that Tony would recognize the thinly veiled reasoning that would allow DiNozzo to have a few words with Josh Morgan.

Tony grinned. "It'd be my pleasure. What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to see what else Abby's come up with."

"I'll let you know when his lawyer gets here."

Gibbs handed the file to Tony and turned to head towards the lab. "You do that."

As the agent rounded the corner, he was greeted by Agent Pacci who was escorting another officer. Gibbs quickly surmised that the man before him was Josh's father but he had to admit that he was surprised that the Lieutenant didn't appear to be angry; his countenance bore lines of worry and fear, but Gibbs couldn't be sure if his concern was for himself or his son.

"This is Josh Morgan's father," Pacci stated.

He nodded his thanks. "I'll take it from here, Pacci."

As soon as Pacci left, Gibbs acknowledged the Lieutenant. "Your son has requested a lawyer," Gibbs informed him.

.

"I've already made the call; his attorney should be arriving shortly."

"I assume you want to see your son."

"No."

"No?"

The knot in Gibbs' gut pulled tighter. Why would Morgan come down to NCIS if he didn't want to see his son? What was his ulterior motive? "What do you mean no?" Gibbs wasn't sure he wanted to hear the answer to his question.

Standing tall, Morgan replied, "I want to see DiNozzo."

Gibbs' first thought was to tell Lieutenant Morgan exactly where he could go, but he didn't get the chance; Tony had stepped around the corner in time to hear the officer's request.

"I thought I heard a familiar voice," Tony said.

"You look like hell, DiNozzo," Morgan observed.

The agent was grateful that Tony didn't rise to the bait; the detective was keeping his cool, which was not an easy feat. "What do you want, Lieutenant?" DiNozzo asked. "In case you haven't noticed, I'm in the middle of a murder investigation."

"I need to talk to you."

Gibbs was determined to let DiNozzo play this out; he knew that the detective could handle himself but he would make sure that Lieutenant Morgan understood that he had Tony's six.

"Gibbs, is there a place we can talk?" Tony asked, his gaze fixed on the Lieutenant.

"Yeah, there's a conference room you can use."

"Lead the way."

"Uh, I wanted to talk to you in private," Morgan said.

"Anything you can say to me, you can say in front of Agent Gibbs."

It was then that the agent knew that Tony was truly beginning to trust him. DiNozzo was accepting the fact that he wasn't alone and that together the two of them would be a formidable team. He had developed a deep respect for the younger man and the more he got to know the detective, the more he realized that the detective was still a mystery to him. However, it was beginning to look like that he was going to have the opportunity to unravel the intricacies that made up the man known as Anthony DiNozzo.

Gibbs turned and motioned for the other two men to follow him. "This way," he gestured.

"This is between you and me, DiNozzo," the Lieutenant protested.

The silver hair agent smiled when he heard Tony reply, "Not anymore, Lieutenant. Not anymore."

**I hope you enjoyed the post. I apologize for not getting the chapter up earlier this week but real life has been busy and plus I forgot my flash drive yesterday! Anyway, thank you all again for your continued encouragement and support! I'm hugging you all in my mind! **


	13. Chapter 13

Part 13

Tony followed Gibbs and Lieutenant Morgan into the conference room; his mind was racing with questions that demanded answers and he was determined to get those answers he desperately needed. He still couldn't believe that Morgan was willing to roll over on Waters but he supposed that in this case, blood was thicker than water and that Captain Waters would soon learn that even to a man like Morgan, family took precedence.

He waited until Morgan sat down and then Tony took the seat across from him as Gibbs stood behind him. The detective truly appreciated the silent show of support from the agent; Tony was glad that Gibbs literally and figuratively had his back. It had been a long time since he had felt that sense of security that came from having a partner that he could truly count on to have his six. The energy in the room was surging as tempers were close to the surface. Tony had to force himself to remain calm and focused; he couldn't afford to make any mistakes.

"So, you said you wanted to talk to me," Tony began. "So talk."

"I want your word that Josh won't get the death penalty," the Lieutenant stated.

"That's out of my hands. He murdered two families; he's got to answer for that."

"I'm willing to help you nail Waters! You have to help my son!"

Tony glared at the Lieutenant. "I don't have to _do_ to anything. Maybe you should keep in mind that you're the bastard who covered for him. Maybe you should worry about yourself."

"Evidently you've never been a father or you would understand why I did what I did," Morgan snapped.

Thoughts of Wendy plagued his thoughts as he recalled their numerous conversations regarding whether or not they were going to have children. They had reached the conclusion that they did want children but they were going to wait several years; she still had some dreams to pursue in her musical career and he just simply needed the time to convince himself that he could be a good father. Unfortunately, those plans were cut short by her brutal murder and he doubted that he would ever be able to find another woman who loved him unconditionally and accepted him for who he was.

Tony schooled his features, hoping that neither Morgan nor Gibbs caught his momentary lapse. "No, I'm not a father but if I was, I don't think I could ever cover up for my child when he's committed such a heinous crime. Your son murdered two families and I don't know how you could morally or ethically sweep it under the rug. Did you think that if you just ignored it that you would wake up and it would all be a bad dream?"

"I uh…I don't know what I thought. But that doesn't really matter. You need information that I have so you either do something to help my son or I'll walk out of here and you'll be back to square one."

Tony leaned forward slightly, his eyes aiming flaming daggers to Morgan's soul. "Contrary to what you think, Lieutenant, you don't hold the cards. How much I help your son depends on how much _you_tell me. If you don't want to play by my rules, I'll go back and talk to your son; you may be willing to cover for him but I can pretty much guarantee that he won't return the favor. I've heard how he talks about you; you're nothing but someone who will bail him out when he gets in trouble and if it comes down to covering for you or saving his own ass, I can pretty much guarantee which one Josh is going to do."

He studied the officer sitting before him; Tony sensed that Morgan was seriously contemplating his words and judging by the defeated expression on the Lieutenant's face, the older man had realized that the detective was telling him the truth.

"All right," Morgan conceded. "What do you want to know?"

Tony swallowed hard. He was finally going to get the answers that he had been desperately searching for and he had to admit that he was actually nervous about hearing what Morgan had to say. "Just start talking; I'll interrupt when I need clarification. I want you to start with the events that led up to Drew's death and go from there."

He carefully listened as Morgan began to go into detail regarding how he and Waters ended up on Marcotti's payroll and how they had convinced Drew and some others to join them. "It's been a rather lucrative investment," Morgan stated. "That is until you started sticking your nose in it. We tried to convince Drew to draw you into the organization but he said that you were too good of a cop and he was right. Drew said that you had convinced him that he needed to get out but Waters wasn't prepared to let him go so easily; Waters held the safety of his wife and child over Drew's head and when that didn't work, he set up Drew to take the fall."

"Is that when he planted the evidence in his locker?"

Morgan nodded. "Yes. It led to his suspension and you know what happened because of that."

"Drew didn't kill himself, did he?" Tony pressed.

"No. Waters and I paid him a visit. I stood by and watched Waters force the gun in Drew's mouth and pull the trigger."

"You just stood there and watched?" Tony felt like he was going to be sick. Even though Drew's death had been ruled as a suicide, he had always had his doubts but it turned out that his suspicions had been right all along. Drew hadn't taken his own life; he had been force fed his gun and now with the Lieutenant's confession, he had the proof that he'd been looking for. He made a mental note to have Dr. Mallard review Drew's autopsy; if there was anyone who could back up Morgan's claim with evidence, it would be Ducky.

"Waters thought that you would take the hint to leave it alone but you kept pushing the IA investigation," Morgan continued to explain. "I tried to tell him that you were like an old dog with a bone but he wouldn't listen; he was determined to make your life miserable enough that you would just leave like you did Philadelphia and Peoria."

Tony inwardly cringed at the mention of the other two departments he had served. Even though his stint at those two police departments were listed in his files, there were still certain things that he wanted to remain buried. Hopefully Gibbs wouldn't pick up on it and press the issue; he was more than willing to let the past to remain in the past. "Evidently your plan didn't work out like you hoped it would."

"No, it didn't. When you turned Drew's journal over to IA, Waters went nuts. The Captain decided to try and take you out with the explosion in the diner; he knew that you were there and that it was basically empty. When that didn't work, he called Marcotti who decided it was time to start playing hardball; he ordered some of his men to take out your fiancée. Technically, Waters didn't kill your girlfriend but…"

"He might as well of have pulled the trigger," Tony spat. It bothered him that Waters could only be charged with conspiracy for Wendy's murder but at least he could nail him for Drew's.

"Waters is worried that Marcotti will wash his hands of him and he'll do anything to prevent that."

"Guess that includes distancing himself from you and your son. All that bad publicity couldn't be good for him or Marcotti."

"No, it's not."

"He has no idea that you're here spilling your guts, does he?"

"He told me to go and make sure that my son keeps his mouth shut."

"I guess your son does mean more to you than money," Tony mused. He briefly wondered what depths his own father would go to in order to protect him. Of course, that thought was short lived; he knew for a fact that his father's first love was money and that would never change.

"He's my world. I know that I probably didn't do right by him by covering up for him but I…"

Tony didn't wasn't interested in Morgan's child rearing abilities; he wanted this nightmare to be over with and with Morgan's confession, he could start to believe that the end was in sight. "I need you to make a statement to IA."

"Why?"

"Because you have to."

"I'm not spilling my guts to IA unless I know my son isn't going to get the death penalty."

"Then you better cooperate fully," Tony warned him as he stood up. "Make yourself comfortable while I call IA and get them over here."

"DiNozzo, I…"

"Save it for IA."

Tony walked out of the room with Gibbs in tow. As soon as he was out in the hall, he leaned against the wall and blew out a long breath; he had gotten what he wanted in Morgan's confession but the weight that he'd been carrying didn't seem any lighter. Maybe it was the exhaustion that was seeping out of every pore of his body or maybe he just didn't want to get his hopes up only to be dashed by some kind of technicality or loophole that a high priced attorney would discover.

"You okay, DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked.

"Yeah," he sighed. "I guess I'm having a hard time believing the possibility that I'm actually getting somewhere and not banging my head against the wall. It looks like Waters underestimated a father's love, no matter how misguided it is."

"I guess in Morgan's case, there aren't any limits to a father's love."

Tony pressed his palms against his eyes for a few seconds and then met Gibbs' concerned gaze. He was so tired, not just physically but emotionally and mentally as well. "Would you have covered up a murder for your kid?"

He didn't miss the pained expression that was etched on Gibbs' face; Tony suddenly found himself wishing that he had simply kept his big mouth shut. "No; at least I don't think so," the agent finally answered. "I'd like to think that I would have raised my child to understand and respect the difference between right and wrong."

"Can I ask you something else?" Tony wasn't sure if he should chance another question, but he had already stuck his foot in his mouth, so he might as well press his luck.

"Sure."

"Do you think Josh ever doubted his place in his father's life?"

Gibbs shrugged. "I don't know. A child should never have doubt his place; he should know that his dad loves him and…"

Tony was suddenly uncomfortable with the direction that the conversation was taking. He had inadvertently revealed a question that had been bothering him for years; Tony had a feeling that Gibbs was quickly going to figure out that he wasn't necessarily asking about his perception of Josh's relationship with his father but trying to ascertain what his own relationship with his dad should have been like.

"You know what? I need to call IA and get them down here."

"All right. I'll check on Josh and sit on Morgan until they get here."

"Yeah, thanks."

Tony started down the hall as Gibbs called out to him. "Hey DiNozzo, we're not through with this conversation."

As he pulled out his cell phone to call the Office of Internal Affairs, he smiled at the NCIS agent. Tony knew that he hadn't fooled Gibbs at all and that the man wasn't going to let him get away with anything but that was strangely all right with him. Still grinning at the older man, he put the phone to ear and casually replied, "I had a feeling that you were going to say that."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Gibbs watched DiNozzo as he rounded the corner. The detective had proven to be an enigma and the agent had realized early on that were many layers to Anthony DiNozzo and it would take a long to time reveal them all; of course, many people had said the same thing about him and with the exception of Shannon, no one had dared to look beyond the walls that he had erected around his soul. That is until DiNozzo came along. Somehow, the young man was starting to chip away at the tough exterior that he always portrayed and he wasn't sure how he felt about being so easily read by someone that he barely knew.

There had been something special about DiNozzo from the first time they had met and Gibbs had sensed that this was someone that he wanted watching his back. During the past week, he had learned more about himself than he had thought possible and if Tony accepted the job offer, he figured that he would learn a lot more.

He walked towards interrogation to check on Josh Morgan but the agent guarding the door informed him that his lawyer was in the room talking with the young man. The agent decided to go have his own chat with Lieutenant Morgan; Gibbs had a few questions of his own that he needed answers to and like Tony, he was determined to get those answers. Opening the door, he entered the room and sat down across from Morgan.

"What do you want, Gibbs?" Morgan snarled.

"Just waiting."

"Waiting for what?"

"For IA. DiNozzo's calling them now," Gibbs reminded him.

Morgan grew quiet for a few seconds and Gibbs allowed him that brief respite; he could only being to imagine what was going through the Lieutenant's mind. "Josh told me that he would stop."

"Guess he lied to you."

"I uh…guess he did. I thought that I could protect him; when he was a little boy, I swore to always protect him and I guess I failed him."

"Or maybe he failed you," he reasoned. Gibbs leaned back in his chair. "You know, I understand why you chose to protect your son."

"You do?"

"Yeah," he answered. "You stood by and watched Waters kill DiNozzo's partner; you're no better than your son; so when it comes down to it, you were really covering for yourself. You could have put a stop to this and you didn't. Why?"

"I…I don't know."

"That's not gonna hold up in court," Gibbs pointed out.

"Don't you think I know that?"

"Maybe you can borrow Josh's lawyer; I'm sure he'll give you a family discount."

Gibbs wasn't intimidated by Morgan's icy stare. "You're a real bastard, you know that?" the Lieutenant stated.

"That's what the second 'b' stands for."

"I'm sure it's well earned."

The agent stood up and walked around the table until he was standing beside Morgan. He turned around and leaned his backside against the table, his eyes focused on the wall. "The attack on DiNozzo; who was directly responsible? I want names."

"Why? Are you his keeper now?"

"No, but I am his partner for now and if I have it my way, I'll be his boss in a couple of weeks. I take care of my own and DiNozzo's one of mine now." Gibbs grabbed a blank sheet of paper from his file and placed it and a pencil in front of Morgan. "So, I need you to give me names. We're not just after you and Waters; we're getting rid of all the bad apples."

"You're making me sign my death warrant."

"I'm not making you do anything; I do know that your willingness to cooperate will more than likely go in your favor on judgment day," Gibbs reminded him.

As the Lieutenant reluctantly began to write down the names of the officers who had assaulted DiNozzo, Gibbs' cell phone rang. He glanced at the caller ID to see who it was that dared to interrupt him during an interrogation. It was Abby and Gibbs knew that she wouldn't call him unless it was absolutely necessary.

"Gibbs," he gruffly answered.

"Gibbs! Gibbs! Gibbs!"

It was obvious that the scientist was obviously upset about something. "What's wrong, Abs?"

Gibbs struggled to keep up with Abby as she attempted to sum up her current problem in less than ten seconds. "I saw Tony in the hallway and he looked awful, so I was taking him to the break room to get some coffee when we ran into this man. I thought I had seen him before and then it dawned on me that it was Tony's Captain. Anyway, the Captain started yelling at Tony and then he threw a punch; now they're fighting and even though I called security, there's no one here yet to break them up and if you don't come and stop them, Tony is going to kill Waters!"

"Crap!" he muttered under his breath. The last thing DiNozzo needed was an assault charge, especially if he was going to become an NCIS agent.

"I'm on my way, Abs! Just stay out of the way!"

"Ah, DiNozzo." Gibbs hadn't meant for the quiet admonishment to slip out, much less for Morgan to hear it, but it was too late to take it back.

"I told you, Gibbs. He's got a lot of baggage; you'd be better off without him."

Gibbs reached for the door. Glancing back over his shoulder, he motioned for Morgan to keep writing. "Mind your own business; like I said, I take care of my own."

As he hurried down towards the break room, he silently hoped that he wasn't too late. Gibbs could care less what happened to Waters, but he did care about what could happen to Tony. He was determined to watch DiNozzo's back; he just wished that the detective didn't have to make it so difficult sometimes. Gibbs was almost dreading that long talk that he and DiNozzo were going to have in the near future.

**I will go ahead and apologize for the sporadic posts over the next couple of weeks. My life is kind of crazy and busy right now; I sure that a lot of you know the feeling. I've got 3 different Christmas plays I'm directing on top of band concerts, parades, scouts, school, etc. So, please don't think I've abandoned you all and left you hanging; I'm definitely around and writing when I have the time. After next Saturday, things will ease up a little!**

**As always, I appreciate the support and encouragement. You guys are the best! I hope you enjoy this post! Please forgive me for not doing review replies yet; I figured you all would rather have two posts than a reply. LOL **


	14. Chapter 14

Part 14

Rage. That was the only word that could describe the fury at which Tony DiNozzo was delivering blow after blow to the Captain's body; he was no longer in control of his emotions or his actions and months of pent up anger and sorrow fueled every deliberate punch. Although he could hear Abby begging him to stop, Tony chose to ignore her pleas; Waters had pushed him too far and now the Captain would have to suffer the consequences.

He truly hated Captain Waters with every fiber of his soul; the man deserved to die and at the moment, Tony was more than willing to be the one who ended the Captain's life. The detective had been pushed beyond his endurance and when Waters began taunting him, it had only taken one painful reminder of all he had lost to make him snap. Technically, Waters had only himself to blame for the predicament that he now found himself in; if he had kept his filthy mouth shut then maybe Tony could have simply walked away. Of course, that was a big maybe.

Jerking Waters up off the floor, Tony drew back his fist; the Captain's bruised and bloodied face bore testament of the beating that he had already received. Waters was barely conscious and DiNozzo knew that he wouldn't be able to withstand too much more of his well executed justice. Grabbing the officer by the lapels, he shoved him against the wall, his arm hovering menacingly over his throat.

"Just give me a reason," Tony growled.

"You…just made a big…mistake, DiNozzo," Waters gasped. "Assault…on…a…fellow officer is…"

"You're not my fellow officer!" he bellowed. "You're a murderer and you're going down one way or the other."

"So you're…going to kill…me?"

"It'll be a pleasure."

Despite the small crowd gathering, the two security guards attempting to pull him away from the Captain, and Abby's protests, Tony still managed to shift his weight as he began to cut off Waters' air supply. He knew that he was risking everything but he couldn't see past his hatred.

"DiNozzo! Stand down!"

The familiar voice of reason shattered the thoughts of revenge that were consuming him. Tony should have known that Abby would have called Gibbs and that the NCIS agent would do everything in his power to make sure that he didn't do anything foolish that would jeopardize the case or his future. Perhaps if he could ignore the gruff command a few seconds longer then he could finish what the Captain had started.

"DiNozzo!" Gibbs called to him again. "I said to back off!"

Tony had a feeling that if he let Waters go, he would never have another chance to make sure that justice was served. He deserved closure but he also knew that if he killed the Captain, he wouldn't be any better than any of the murderers that he had spent his career putting away. The detective stepped away from Waters as the battered man slid down the wall, ending up on the floor.

He began to struggle as the two security officers grabbed him and spun him around to face the wall. Tony saw Gibbs pull the over eager men off of him and then he allowed Abby to guide him to the opposite wall where she pulled him into a hug and began to try and convince him to let Gibbs take care of Waters.

Tony didn't struggle against her tight embrace; truthfully, it felt good to have someone to lean on. Wendy had always been his rock, especially whenever he had a rough day; how was he going to live without the gentle touch of her arms and her kind words? Forcing these thoughts back into the box where he kept them, Tony slowly blew out a breath while he tried to simultaneously listen to Abby's soothing words and Gibbs, who was defending him to Waters.

"Arrest him," Waters ordered.

The detective visibly bristled at the sound of the Captain's voice. His hatred for the man continued to course through his body like a river, spilling into every alcove of his soul.

"For what?" Gibbs asked.

"In case you haven't noticed, he assaulted me!"

"I didn't see him."

"How do you explain the bruises?"

"I guess you fell."

"There are plenty of other witnesses!" the Captain angrily pointed out.

"Where?" Gibbs turned to the few onlookers that had gathered and had not managed to slip away from the drama unfolding before them. "Did any of you see Detective DiNozzo assault Captain Waters?"

"No, sir," they replied in unison as they all finally managed to hastily retreat down the corridor.

Tony pulled free of Abby's slender arms and joined Gibbs. His nerves were raw and he was still on edge; it wouldn't take much provocation to finish what he started. He didn't miss how Gibbs stood in between him and the Captain; the agent was looking after him like he was already one of his own.

It was an odd feeling to actually belong somewhere. Although he had served on several police forces, for one reason or another, Tony had never felt like he truly belonged; now, NCIS was quickly becoming the one place that he _wanted_ to belong.

"You still didn't answer my question, smart guy; how are you going to explain the blood?" Waters wanted to know.

He knew that the Captain believed that he was going to be able to back Gibbs into a corner, but Waters should have learned from his first encounter with the agent that Leroy Jethro Gibbs could not be easily intimidated.

"I don't have to explain the blood. From what I hear, Detective DiNozzo was acting in self-defense; you threw the first punch. Isn't that what you said, Abs?"

"That's right, Gibbs. He started giving Tony a hard time and then he hit him," she recalled.

"Sounds like you got what you deserved."

Tony bit back a sharp retort; if Waters had truly gotten what he had deserved, he would be dead. He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth; that had been the only punch that Waters had managed to get in before he had quickly turned the tables on the Captain and began to deliver his own retribution.

"I'm still pressing charges," the Captain stated as he turned his attention to Tony. "I'll have your badge."

DiNozzo met Waters' hate filled gaze as Gibbs took a step closer to him; the agent truly was trying to look out for him and he owed to the older man to keep his anger under control. "I told you that after I took you down, you could have it. Of course, I guess I'll give it to your replacement since you'll be in prison waiting on death row."

"And then what, DiNozzo? Do you honestly think that there's going to be any police force on the east coast that will want to hire you? You're lucky we took you after everything that happened in Philadelphia; you're a pariah and you'll never fit in anywhere. Maybe you should just go back home to daddy."

He clenched his fist; Tony knew that he was letting Waters get to him but he was finding it increasingly difficult to ignore the vicious barbs that were being hurled at him. The Captain probably didn't realize how fortunate he was that Gibbs was standing between them because Gibbs' presence was the only thing keeping Waters' alive at the moment.

"Abs, take DiNozzo somewhere and get him something to eat," Gibbs instructed.

"What are you going to do?" Abby asked.

"The Captain and I are going to have a talk."

Tony found himself torn by Gibbs' revelation. He wanted to be in on the questioning but part of him wanted nothing more than to go somewhere where he could pull himself together; Tony knew he needed his head on straight or he wasn't going to be much use to anyone, especially NCIS. Hopefully, Gibbs hadn't changed his mind about the job offer; the more he was around Gibbs, Abby, and Ducky, the more he wanted to be part of this unique family.

"Come on, Tony," Abby gently urged.

"Gibbs, I…"

"I'll take care of it, DiNozzo," the agent promised. "You're part of _my_ team now and I take care of my own."

He nodded his silent thanks as he permitted Abby to guide him away from Waters. Tony knew he could trust Gibbs; it had been a long time since he felt like he could completely put his faith in someone and he had to admit that it unnerved him slightly. Fortunately, Gibbs realized how difficult it was for him to trust and refused to push him; the bond between them had inexplicably grown into something both paternal and professional and it was going to take Tony a while to get used to being part of a team, but he welcomed the challenge.

Abby led him back to her lab and into her office. "You sit down at my desk and I'll be right back," she said.

"Abby, you don't have to…"

"My lab, my rules. Sit."

Knowing that it was useless to argue with her, he did as he was told and took a seat behind her desk. He could hear her plundering around in another part of the lab and although he was curious as to what she was doing, he elected to remain seated per Abby's orders. Within a couple of minutes, she had returned with a Caf-Pow! and a bowl of piping hot soup.

"Here you go! It's my Grammy's gumbo; it'll cure what ails you," she boasted.

"I'm not sick," he tried to reason.

"No, but you are tired and you need to eat." Abby pulled up a chair and sat down beside him. "So, have you found a place to stay?"

"I just got the job offer, Abby," Tony reminded her. "Of course, after my little stunt up there, he might change his mind."

"He won't."

"How do you know?"

"Remember what he said in the hallway? You're part of _his_team now. I know Gibbs and he knows a good thing when he sees it. Do you realize that you're the first person that he's ever wanted to hire? The Director has tried to assign him partners but they just can't seem to work with him, although I don't know why."

Tony grinned at the scientist. She reminded him of a little girl who believed that her father could do no wrong and although he figured that Gibbs would be the first to admit that he wasn't perfect, she still believed that he was a superhero of some kind.

"Guess they weren't cut out for it," Tony mused.

"Guess not."

"And you think I am?"

"Absolutely. You're exactly what he needs to keep him in check!"

He hoped that Abby was right. All his life, he had strived to be the best at what he did in hopes of pleasing his father, but he always seemed to fall short of the prize. Police work was something that he had loved and had excelled at; however, fate seemed to continually deal him a hand that he either had to fold or bluff his way through to the end.

Brushing those thoughts aside, Tony took a couple bites of the soup. "My compliments to your Grammy."

"Thanks!"

"You're welcome."

"So, back to my original question," Abby said as he took a drink of the Caf-Pow! sitting in front of him. "Have you got a place to stay?"

"No."

"Then you can stay with me."

He shook his head. "I appreciate the offer but I don't want to impose."

"It's not an imposition. We'll put your stuff in storage until you can find a place; you can either sleep on the couch or the coffin."

Tony began to cough as he strangled on the gumbo; the offer of sleeping in a coffin had taken him completely by surprise. In his lifetime, he had experienced more than his share of women offering him a bed and most of the times, he had gladly accepted the offer; however, this was first time that anyone had ever offered him a coffin to sleep in. "A coffin?"

"Well, I call it a coffin," she tried to explain. "You'll just have to see it."

"I'll uh…uh…think about it," Tony stammered. "Thanks for the offer."

His answer seemed to temporarily satisfy the beautiful scientist. He finished his soup and grabbed the Caf-Pow! as he stood up; he needed to find out what was going on and what Gibbs had found out from his interrogation of Captain Waters.

"Where are you going?" Abby wanted to know.

"To talk to Gibbs."

"He doesn't like to be interrupted during interrogation."

"I won't interrupt him; I'm just going to wait on him."

Abby stood up and kissed him on the cheek. "Be careful. Come and see me before you leave; I want to know what happens."

"I will," he vowed.

"I mean it, Tony; I want to know. I hope you get what you're looking for."

Tony allowed her to pull him into another one of her hugs. He permitted himself a few brief seconds to melt into her embrace; the detective was once again reminded of the times he would fall into Wendy's arms and let her console him after a difficult day. Abby wasn't Wendy, nor would she ever be; however, she was quickly becoming a good friend. He truly didn't have many people that he would bestow the title of friend upon, but Tony could count Abby among those privileged few.

He blew out a slow breath as he wrapped his arms around his new friend. Tony kissed her forehead and then whispered in her ear, "Me too, Abs; me too."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Gibbs walked in the room where Captain Waters was being detained. After Abby had taken Tony out of the hallway and to the lab, he had ordered two junior agents to escort the Captain to one of the conference rooms. He had been tempted to place him in the room with Lieutenant Morgan and just wait to see who came out alive; it would come down to which man cherished his freedom more, but Gibbs knew that the case couldn't afford to let any personal feelings to get in the way. That was one reason why he had provided DiNozzo with a so called time out; Tony needed to get himself together and he wasn't going to be able to do it while he was in the presence of the one man that he hated with every fiber of his being.

He understood what it was like to hate a person so much that it literally eats at you like a cancer until you're able to do something to ease the suffering. Gibbs had taken the law into his own hands to bring some kind of closure and meaning to the senseless deaths of his wife and daughter; he didn't regret his actions then or now. Had he denied Tony the same opportunity? Was he being a hypocrite? Maybe he was just trying to save DiNozzo from a lifetime of second guessing and loneliness; only time would tell.

As he pulled out a chair to sit down, Waters began to complain. "I'm hurt! I need to go to the hospital."

"Shut up!" Gibbs barked. "You're still upright, so you can't be hurt too bad."

"You're violating my rights. I demand to know what I'm being charged with! You can't hold me here unless you're going to charge me!"

Gibbs leaned back in his chair. "All right. How about murder and conspiracy to murder? How're those charges? Do they work for you?"

"You have no proof of anything!"

The agent smugly grinned. "Actually, I have an eyewitness who is ready to roll on you."

"An eyewitness? Are you talking about Morgan? He won't turn on me; you're bluffing."

He shook his head in amusement. "I'm a Marine, Captain Waters; I don't bluff. You might as well kiss your career and your lucrative lifestyle goodbye because neither one of those things are going to save you. As soon as Marcotti hears we have you in custody, he's going to cut the apron strings and you'll be up the creek without a paddle. No one will be in your corner; you better hire yourself a good lawyer."

"I want to talk to Lieutenant Morgan," Waters demanded.

"I don't think so; he's already told us what we needed to know and he's giving a statement to IA."

"He's just doing it to protect his son! I know for a fact that he covered for Josh and…"

"You've just confessed to knowing that Josh Morgan murdered those two families; I guess we can add obstruction to justice and conspiracy to your list of charges as well."

"If you're charging me, I want a lawyer now."

"I'll pass along your request. Sit tight."

Gibbs stood and walked over to the door. As he opened it, he wasn't surprised to find Tony standing outside against the opposite wall. The agent could still see the fine lines of exhaustion laced with anger around DiNozzo's eyes; whenever this nightmare was over and Tony joined NCIS, his first official act as his boss would be to order DiNozzo to sleep for a solid week.

"You okay?" he asked.

Tony nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. What did Waters have to say?" 

"Not much. He knows he's screwed; he wants a lawyer."

"Seems to be the going thing around here."

"Yeah."

Gibbs noticed that Tony was no longer looking at him; instead his gaze was fixed on the door behind him. "Can I talk to him?" DiNozzo wanted to know.

"That didn't work out so well the last time," Gibbs reminded him. "It's probably not a good idea."

"I just want to know…I just want to understand why."

"I know you do; but I don't know if you'll ever truly understand why, DiNozzo. I do know that greed can do strange things to a man; it can make a man do things that he would have never thought possible."

Before Tony could respond, his cell phone rang, interrupting their conversation. "Gibbs." He listened as the voice on the other end informed him that Internal Affairs had arrived to get Lt. Morgan's statement.

He hung up the phone and slipped it back in his pocket. "IA is here for Morgan's statement; do you want to observe?"

"Yeah."

"Go on to the observation room; I'm going to read Waters his rights and let him call his lawyer. You need to be ready because everything is getting ready to hit the fan; you're either going to be the hero of Baltimore PD or become the department's mortal enemy."

Tony shrugged as he pushed himself off the wall. "I can handle it. Besides, since I'm taking you up on that job offer, I won't have to worry about Baltimore PD for too much longer; unless you've changed your mind."

"The offer is still on the table," he assured Tony.

"Even after I beat the crap out of Waters?"

"It was self defense."

Gibbs reached out and shook Tony's hand. "I'm glad you're on my side, Gibbs."

"Always, DiNozzo. Always. We make a good team."

The agent couldn't describe the feeling of loyalty and pride he felt towards the younger man. DiNozzo's unerring sense of right and wrong had cost him dearly but Tony had stood firm, vowing to see justice done. He could see so much of himself in the detective and he wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not, but Gibbs did see a lot of potential in DiNozzo and knew that given a chance, he would be one hell of an agent.

**Well, I only got one update completed before I left work; I promise to be working and writing my little heart out the next couple of weeks and hopefully will have some more posts soon! Anyway, I do hope you enjoyed the post! Only two or three more chapters left…wow, it's hard to believe.**

**To all my readers, I want to wish you a Merry Christmas and a blessed holiday season! I consider myself fortunate to have so many loyal readers and I'm looking forward to another year of angst, hurt, comfort, father/son moments, Tony whump, etc. stories in the coming year! **

**Merry Christmas!**


	15. Chapter 15

Part 15

Tony had been observing IA's interrogation of Lieutenant Morgan for almost two hours and while it had been difficult to hear about the lies and the conspiracy that had resulted in Drew and Wendy's deaths, the detective had begun to feel a sense of closure. Although there were still a lot of questions to be answered, he now believed that he could start living again; his life had been consumed by his efforts to bring an end to the corruption that was running rampant in the Baltimore Police Department and he was finding it hard to let go of the past, especially the life that he could have had with Wendy.

He knew that in the next couple of days he was going to have to make time to go to California and claim her body and then he was going to have to take her back home to her parents for burial. Tony dreaded seeing Al and June again, especially since the last time they had spoken, harsh words had been uttered adding to the blame that he was already carrying on his shoulder. However, he knew that he was going to have to try and make peace with Wendy's parents; she wouldn't want them to be at odds with each other and Tony would do everything in his power to honor her wishes.

Sighing, he leaned his head against the glass as exhaustion seemed to seep from every pore in his body; actually he couldn't remember the last time that he had slept for more than a couple of hours and found himself looking forward to getting some real sleep. Tony had survived on coffee and adrenaline for so long, he wasn't sure how he was supposed to function normally; although he was permitting his body to slow down, his mind was still working overtime. There was so much that he still needed to do but for the first time since this nightmare had begun he actually felt like he could give in to the desire to rest; the offer to crash at Abby's place was sounding better all the time.

He heard the door open; Tony didn't have to look over his shoulder to know that Gibbs had just entered the observation room. For some inexplicable reason, he could sense the agent's presence even before he entered the room; he had a feeling that someday that ability would come in handy and save him from embarrassing himself in front of his boss.

"Waters has been arrested and formally charged with murder, conspiracy to murder, and about anything else that IA can throw in the mix," Gibbs informed him, handing him a cup of coffee.

"Thanks," he replied as he took a sip, his eyes still riveted to the men conversing on the other side of the window. "What about the Lieutenant and his son?"

"Josh Morgan confessed; spilled his guts before his attorney arrived. The kid was actually bragging about what he did. I'm not sure what's going to happen with the Lieutenant; he's willing to hang Waters out to dry and that's more than likely going to work to his favor. I guess Morgan figured out that he better do something to save his own skin."

Tony pinched the bridge of his nose as he silently processed what Gibbs' had said. He probably should be upset about the possibility of Morgan being able to cut a deal but right now, the detective didn't seem to be able to feel anything. Tony was numb and at the moment, that suited him just fine.

"You all right?" Gibbs asked.

"Yeah," he nodded. "Just kind of realized how tired I am."

"I know what you mean; I'm kind of beat myself. You probably should go and get some rest; I'm sure that Abby's offered you the use of her coffin."

Tony grinned at the team leader as he raked his hand through his hair. "I'm about ready to take her up on it."

"It's not too bad," Gibbs stated. "It's a little too lumpy for my taste, but I'm used to sleeping on a couch."

The detective stared at him in disbelief; the Navy cop was certainly full of surprises. "_You've _slept in her coffin?"

"Only once."

He couldn't fathom the stoic agent sleeping in the exuberant scientist's coffin; the image now etched in his mind would definitely stay with him a while. "So, do I ever get to hear the story about _why _you slept in Abby's coffin?"

Gibbs shrugged. "Maybe one day; maybe after you work for me for a year or two."

"It'll be worth hanging around just to hear the story," Tony quipped.

"Is that going to be your only incentive, DiNozzo?"

Tony shook his head. "Nope, but you have to admit that it's a good one."

The two men watched as the IA investigators finished their questioning and Morgan was placed in cuffs and led out of the interrogation room. Tony knew that the Lieutenant would probably be out on bail within twenty-four hours but at least he would get a taste of life in prison; his main concern was Waters and making sure that he paid for everything that he had done.

"Do we know when the arraignment will be for Waters and Morgan?"

"Tomorrow morning sometime. I hear that McKinley is the judge," the agent informed him.

Tony nodded in satisfaction; he knew from previous appearances in McKinley's court that the man was fair but didn't tolerate those who mocked the law. "McKinley doesn't have a lot of sympathy for bad cops; maybe they'll be some justice after all."

"Between your testimony and the information IA has gathered; I'd lay money on it."

The detective and the agent exited the observation room and headed down the corridor. There wasn't anything he could do at the moment except head home and wait for the morning to come. He planned on being at the arraignment of the Captain, the Lieutenant, and Josh Morgan; Tony was going to see this through to the end and would do everything in his power to make sure that the specific juries would return with a guilty verdict.

"I'll give you a ride home," Gibbs offered.

"That's okay; I can take the metro."

Gibbs stopped in mid-stride. "You're not going back to Baltimore; I've got a couch with your name on it."

"I don't want to put you out. Besides, I really need to shower and change and I don't have any clean clothes. I…"

"There's a Sears on the way home."

"Uh…Sears? You're kidding right?"

"Either that or you can borrow some sweats and I'll throw your clothes in the washer; take your pick."

"You do laundry? I'm impressed, Gibbs," Tony teased.

"I also cook and iron," the agent deadpanned.

"I guess if you get tired of being a Navy cop, you could make someone a really good maid."

A sudden whack on the back of his head told him that Gibbs didn't find his poor attempt at humor all that funny. Feeling the back of his head, Tony asked, "Are you going to make a habit of that?"

"Only when you say something stupid," Gibbs replied.

Tony figured if that were the case that he would more than likely receive three or four head slaps per day and that would be on a good day; of course, he'd probably deserve every one that Gibbs bestowed upon him. "Guess I better get used to them."

"Probably so," the older man agreed.

They continued down the corridor until they reached the elevator. As they waited for the door to open, a thought occurred to Tony's jumbled mind. "You know that I'll still need some clothes for court," he pointed out.

"Guess we'll be stopping at Sears after all."

Tony rolled his eyes as the two men stepped into the lift car. "Gibbs, I really appreciate the offer of the couch and your willingness to take me to Sears but I kind of just want to go home. I've got a few things to take care of and…"

He was left speechless as Gibbs pushed the emergency stop button bringing the elevator to an abrupt halt. "How many times do I have to say it, DiNozzo? You and I are a team and we look after each other. There's no way I'm letting you go back to Baltimore tonight; you need to rest and I need to work on my boat."

The younger man realized that there wasn't any use arguing with Gibbs, besides he was too tired to put up too much of a fight. "All right," he finally conceded. "I don't suppose I could have a little of that bourbon that you keep down in your basement, could I?"

"That can be arranged."

After Gibbs restarted the elevator, he reached inside his coat pocket and handed Tony an envelope. "What's this?" he asked.

Gibbs shrugged and took another sip of his coffee. "Open it."

Tony opened the envelope to discover two round trip plane tickets to Los Angeles as well as a voucher for a hotel room. He noticed that his flight left tomorrow afternoon and the return date had been left open so that he could take care of bringing Wendy's body back for burial. "Gibbs, uh…what…I mean, you don't have to do this."

"I know."

"I…how did you know that I was going to book a flight in the next couple of days?"

"Just following my gut."

"Is your gut ever wrong?"

"It's been a while," Gibbs admitted.

"Why two tickets?" he inquired.

The agent grinned at him as the two men walked through the parking lot towards Gibbs' car; that mischievous smile could only mean one thing. "You're going with me?" Tony deduced.

"Believe me," Gibbs said as he opened the driver's side door. "This is something that you don't want to go through alone."

Tony slid in the passenger's side and closed his door. He stared at the tickets that he was still clutching in his hand. "I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything."

He leaned his head back against the headrest and closed his eyes. Tony had come to a realization in the past few hours; although Gibbs had repeatedly told him that he didn't have to fight his battles alone, he was actually beginning to believe it. He had been on his own for years and had learned that the only person he could truly rely on was himself; life had not always been kind nor fair to the young man and he had made sure that he had kept an impenetrable wall up around his emotions.

Tony hadn't even fully let his guard down after he had met Wendy and asked her to marry him; she had probably known him better than most but there were things about his life that remained firmly hidden away in a box that was buried in the back of his mind. With Gibbs, he was still guarded but the agent was slowly chipping away at the wall and he wasn't sure if the older man was prepared to see all the emotional scars that he had hidden away for years. Of course, for some inexplicable reason, he really didn't feel all that threatened by the thought of Gibbs seeing those old wounds; perhaps it was time to start the healing process.

"Thanks, Gibbs," he finally managed to say. Thank you seemed so inadequate but he wasn't sure how else to show his gratitude for everything that Gibbs had done for him but he knew that the older man understood what he was trying to convey in those two words. His future was looking brighter and although he still had some dark clouds hanging over his head, the doubts that Tony had that he would ever see daylight again were diminishing every day.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

After a couple of stops, Gibbs and Tony had arrived at his house, both men were tired but despite their fatigue, neither of them was in the mood to sleep. Gibbs had built a fire and they had sat on the couch and eaten the Chinese take out they had picked up on the way home. Tony had then gone to take a shower and Gibbs had left him some sweatpants and a t-shirt to wear; although one of their stops had resulted in enabling DiNozzo to pick out something to wear for court in the morning, Gibbs still took and put his other clothes in the washing machine.

After placing some extra blankets and another pillow on the couch, he went down stairs to work on his boat. It had been an eventful day and Gibbs felt a desperate need to retreat to his basement and work on his boat in order to unwind and clear his mind. DiNozzo was in for a tough couple of days and if he was going to help him through them, he had to stay focused so he could watch his back.

He poured two glasses of bourbon and quickly downed his glass and refilled it; the other glass was for Tony whenever he decided to join him. Gibbs knew that he wouldn't have to wait too long for DiNozzo to make his way downstairs; Tony still had a lot on his mind and although they probably wouldn't even begin to delve into all the issues that the younger man carried, he was glad that the detective, soon to be NCIS agent, was beginning to trust him.

Gibbs heard the door open and he held out the extra glass as Tony padded down the stairs in his sock feet and joined him. DiNozzo nodded his thanks and took the drink as he proceeded to perch himself on the bottom step. "Just what the doctor ordered," Tony sighed.

"I don't know about that," Gibbs said. "It'll at least take the edge off."

"By the time all this is over, I'll need more than something to take the edge off," the detective retorted. "Just caught a little of the news upstairs; Waters' and Morgan's arrest has made the headlines and I've got fourteen voicemails and twenty three missed calls; I just finally turned my phone off figuring I'd deal with it later."

"Glad you didn't go home?"

"Yeah. I have a feeling that I wouldn't have gotten much sleep."

"Probably not," he agreed. "Want me to handle those calls?"

Tony shook his head. "No; I'll take care of it."

"You don't have to fight this alone." Gibbs wondered how many times he was going to have to remind DiNozzo of the fact that it was all right to ask for help.

"I know. It's just…it's just going to take some getting used to; I've always kind of looked after myself and it's worked out pretty good until now. You sure you want to take on a lost cause?" Tony asked, the weariness in his voice was unmistakable and Gibbs found himself silently cursing Waters and everyone else for the hell that DiNozzo been put through in his life.

"I'm not taking on a lost cause," Gibbs said. "I told you once that I didn't waste good."

"I'll try not to let you down," Tony vowed.

There wasn't a doubt in Gibbs' mind that Tony meant the words that he had spoken with such utter conviction. DiNozzo was a good cop, his instincts street smarts rivaling his own but Tony was also willing to learn and that's what made him different from so many who had graced the doors of NCIS in hopes of making it as an agent. "You won't."

"I'm sure you'll keep me in line."

"Count on it."

He walked over and poured Tony another drink just as DiNozzo was gulping down the last sip in his glass. Gibbs knew better than anyone that drowning one's troubles in alcohol was not a good idea and he intended to limit Tony's intake tonight but for now, one more wouldn't make that much difference and Gibbs hoped that it would help the young man sleep.

Gibbs filled Tony's glass and sat down beside him on the step. The two men sat in companionable silence and the agent was curious about what was going through DiNozzo's mind. He had figured out from the beginning that Tony was a private person and wasn't one to talk about what he was feeling but that didn't bother Gibbs; he wasn't exactly an open book either and he knew that his desire for privacy made him seem unapproachable as well. Maybe that's why he had been drawn to DiNozzo; he saw a lot of himself in the young detective and he wasn't sure if that realization scared him or flattered him. Time would tell.

"Got something on your mind?" Gibbs pressed, hoping that Tony would take the opportunity to open up a little.

"I was just wondering if…"

"If what?"

"If losing Wendy was worth taking down Waters; I know he had to be stopped but I can't help but wonder if I had gone about it differently, she might still be alive."

Gibbs took a sip from the bottle. "I can't answer that, Tony. I do know that you did your job and you did it well; dirtbags like Waters, they have to be taken down and those who challenge them often pay a high price; whether or not you want to believe it, you're a hero."

"I never set out to be a hero."

"Most heroes never do."

Tony shook his head. "I still don't think I'm a hero; if I was, I could have saved Wendy."

"Sometimes no matter how hard you try, you can't save them all."

"You talk like you've been down this road."

Gibbs nodded and took a longer swig from the bottle. "I have."

"Any words of wisdom?" 

He was grateful that Tony didn't push him for details; one day he hoped that he would be able to share that part of his past with DiNozzo, but he still had some bridges to burn on that element of his life. "Make her proud, DiNozzo. Make her proud."

"Who are you trying to make proud, Gibbs?"

So much for DiNozzo not pushing him for details; was he that transparent or was Tony just that good at reading him? Clearing his throat, Gibbs softly answered, "I'll tell you one day."

"Fair enough."

Gibbs pushed himself up off the step and extended his hand to Tony to help the younger man up. "It's probably a good idea for both of us to get some rest," he suggested. "We've got a busy day tomorrow."

"Yeah; I guess you're right."

Tony stood up and slowly made his way up the stairs with Gibbs in tow. As DiNozzo walked over to the couch and lay down, Gibbs pulled the afghan off the nearby chair and covered the lean frame. "Tucking me in, Boss? Is this one of the perks of working for NCIS?" 

"Nope; I'm just putting the blanket back on the couch where it belongs," he stated, knowing Tony wouldn't buy his flimsy excuse. "Now, go to sleep."

"What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to sleep too."

"Really?"

"Yeah, in a couple of hours."

"Going back to the basement?"

"Yep."

"Care if I watch some TV?" Tony asked.

Gibbs threw Tony the remote. "Help yourself; if you need anything, just holler."

"I will."

Gibbs turned to head back downstairs. He grinned as Tony turned on the television and within a couple of seconds, called out, "Really, Gibbs? You've got like three channels; haven't you heard of cable?"

"It's all I need," he shrugged. "There're a couple of John Wayne movies on top of the VCR if you don't like what's on the box."

"Better than nothing. You do know we're in the twenty first century now, don't you?"

"Good night, DiNozzo."

"Night, Boss."

Turning off the lights, Gibbs briefly pondered how good those two words sounded to his ears. He was truly looking forward to the day that DiNozzo formally joined him at NCIS; the soon to be former detective was going to be a handful but there wasn't a doubt in his mind that he would be a great agent. They would definitely make a formidable team but first, he had to get DiNozzo through the next few days and that was more than likely not going to be as easy as it sounded.

**Hope everyone is staying warm this weekend! Hope you enjoyed the post and believe it or not, this story is drawing to a close as well, but don't worry, there are plenty of plot bunnies up my sleeve! **

**As always, thanks so much for all your support and encouragement. I am blessed with the most awesome readers in the world!**


	16. Chapter 16

Part 16

Detective Tony DiNozzo waited as the judge silently examined the file before him, determining if there was enough evidence to hold Josh Morgan, Paul Morgan, and Mitchell Waters over for trial. The young man was a bundle of nerves; his leg jiggled nervously, reflecting the anxiety that was attempting to consume him. Tony's patience was waning as he quietly urged the judge to hurry and make his decision; DiNozzo was beginning to wonder if there was something that he had overlooked either in his statement or in the submission of evidence and if that were the case, he would never forgive himself. Just as he was about to lean over and ask Gibbs what time it was for what seemed like the hundredth time, Judge McKinley finally announced the results of his contemplation.

Tony breathed a sigh of relief when he learned that his former Captain and Josh Morgan had been denied bail and would be held over for trial. His ex-Lieutenant was released on bond but would still have to stand trial but the charges against him would more than likely be reduced since Morgan had already agreed to testify against Waters. Although this was the outcome that he had expected, Tony still didn't completely feel like he had received the closure that he needed; of course, he probably wouldn't get that sense of closure until a guilty verdict was delivered and Waters was on death row.

He remained seated as he watched Waters and the younger Morgan being whisked away; everything seemed so surreal and sometimes he felt like he was living in a dream and he couldn't wake up. Tony scrubbed his face and then raked his hands through his hair; he was still tired despite the fact that he had actually slept through the night for the first time since Drew's death. He was beginning to wonder if there had ever been a time that he didn't feel exhausted; maybe after his trip to L.A. and Wendy's funeral, Gibbs would let him sleep two or three days before he started his new job.

Glancing to his right, he noticed that the NCIS agent was staring at him. The man's ability to read him like a book was something that he had to get used to; it was almost eerie how Gibbs seemed to know him better than he knew himself but he had to admit that it was unnerving at times. He admired the man and Tony knew that he would learn a lot under his guidance and DiNozzo hoped that one day he'd figure out Gibbs' semi-mystical ways.

"You okay?" Gibbs asked, bringing him out of his reverie.

"Yeah," he sighed. "Kind of what I expected; I was holding my breath there for a few minutes."

The older man nodded in agreement. "At least there weren't any surprises."

"No; I just hope that when they go to trial, the jury finds them guilty."

"Like I said, McKinley's tough and this DA doesn't mess around."

"I hope not. I just want this to be over," Tony said.

"Your testimony should help put them away."

Tony prayed that Gibbs was right. He looked around, noticing for the first time that the courtroom was practically empty save for a few people. Truthfully, Tony dreaded the thought of leaving because of the herd of reporters that had gathered outside the courthouse; they had bombarded him and Gibbs when they had arrived and he knew they were more than likely waiting outside for an opportunity to assault them once again with a barrage of questions.

"You ready to get out of here?" Gibbs wanted to know.

"Is there a back way out of here?"

"I think that can be arranged." Gibbs patted him on the back and then motioned for him to follow. "Come on," he urged. "Let's get out of here."

"On your six, Boss."

He didn't miss the team leader's sly grin at the moniker that he had bestowed upon him; Tony wasn't sure why he suddenly started to refer to him as boss except for the fact that it seemed to naturally roll off his tongue. The soon to be former detective was growing increasingly excited about his new job at NCIS; he just hoped that he managed to live up to Gibbs' expectations.

The two men went out a side door and Gibbs led him down several corridors until they managed to exit out a service entrance, far away from the inquisitive reporters. Tony was surprised to see Gibbs' car parked close to the door. He looked at the older man for an explanation, but Gibbs simply motioned for him to get in the car.

As he slid in the passenger's seat, Gibbs said, "Moved it when I went to bathroom earlier; figured you didn't need the headache of facing the reporters."

Tony was taken back by Gibbs' thoughtfulness but he knew that the former Marine didn't want any special praise or acknowledgement for the thoughtful gesture, so he settled for a simple, "Thanks, Gibbs."

"Hungry?" the agent asked, changing the subject and the somber mood that seemed to be radiating from Tony.

He shook his head. "Not really."

"Well, I am, plus I need some coffee."

Tony knew that there was no getting in between Gibbs and his coffee, so he merely nodded his consent as the agent pulled out onto the road. He laid his head back against the headrest and closed his eyes, grateful that Gibbs wasn't one for mindless chatter; Tony needed time to process everything that had happened this morning and until he had wrapped his mind around his jumbled thoughts, he preferred the companionable silence between them.

He wasn't sure how much time had passed before he realized that the car had stopped; Tony didn't remember falling asleep but realized that he must have allowed himself to doze off. The young man blinked several times as he looked out the window to discover that they were in the parking lot of a coffee shop. Gibbs was already out of the car by the time Tony had released his seatbelt. "You must really need that coffee," he mumbled as he slowly got out of the car and joined his future mentor.

"Come on, DiNozzo," Gibbs insisted, making Tony wonder if the man also had super sonic hearing. "I've got a hot cup of brew and a piece of pie waiting on me."

Tony followed Gibbs into the small diner where they were greeted by a familiar face. A tired grin spread across his face as Rita threw her arms around him. "Tony! It's so good to see you! I've been so worried about you!"

"Hey Rita!" he exclaimed as he gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. "Are you working here now?" It was so good to see her again; Rita had always managed to make him smile even on the days that he didn't think he had anything to smile about.

"For now; at least until they rebuild the diner. Agent Gibbs was nice enough to get me this job," the waitress informed him. "I was wondering when he'd get around to bringing you by but he's kept me up to date on everything. Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," he assured her. "I'm so glad to see you."

"Come on, I'll seat you two fine looking gentlemen and then I'll bring you both some coffee," Rita offered.

"Sounds good."

He and Gibbs followed Rita to a back booth and sat down. "I'll be right back," she promised as she handed them both a menu.

Tony stared over his menu at the team leader. "I appreciate you helping Rita out; that was nice."

Gibbs shrugged as he continued to study the menu. "It just kind of worked out. Milt needed a waitress to cover while one of the regular girls was out on maternity leave and Rita needed a job; that's pretty much all there was to it."

"Thanks, Gibbs," Tony quietly replied. "I know this means a lot to her and to me."

"She's a good lady; worries a lot about you."

"Yeah, I know. She was the first person I met when I moved to Baltimore; I uh…let's just say that she looked after me until I got settled."

"I know."

Tony rolled his eyes as he closed his menu. "Of course you do," he muttered under his breath.

"What'd you say, DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked.

"Uh…nothing, Boss. Just clearing my throat."

"That's what I thought."

Before Tony could answer, Rita had returned with their coffee and took their order. Tony still wasn't very hungry but he figured that he didn't need Gibbs and Rita both fussing over him; he ordered a western omelet and a side of hash browns, hoping that his stomach could handle the unwanted meal.

"I'll bring you some toast as well," Rita stated. "I've got a jar of homemade preserves in the back for special customers."

"What flavor?"

"Strawberry," Gibbs answered for her. "It's really good."

Tony smiled at the waitress. "That sounds great, Rita. Thanks."

After Rita had excused herself to place their order, Tony could feel Gibbs' gaze studying him as he unconsciously fidgeted in his seat. "Something on your mind, Tony?" the agent finally inquired.

"I got a couple of things I need to do; I guess I'm not looking forward to doing either one of them."

He didn't have to explain to Gibbs what he needed to do; Tony didn't particularly _want_ to do either of the tasks that lay ahead but he had to go to Baltimore to tie up loose ends and to L.A. to bring Wendy's body home. The detective was aware of the fact that even after he resigned from the police department and buried his fiancée, the nightmare would only be partially over; there wouldn't be any true rest for him until he saw Waters behind bars, waiting to be put to death.

"I say let them sweat it out in Baltimore; you've got bereavement and sick leave, so take it," Gibbs suggested between sips of coffee.

"I know but I can't keep screening calls and…" Tony suddenly realized that his cell phone was missing. He patted the pockets of his coat and pants before he noticed Gibbs placing his phone on the table.

Puzzled, he picked up his phone and stared at Gibbs for an explanation. "New number, unlisted," the agent said. "Your ex colleagues will figure it out eventually, but you'll get a little peace. Right now, the only people who have your number are me and Abby."

"How'd you…when did you…" Tony shook his head. "Never mind; I give up. I'll never figure out how you do that Master Yoda thing you do."

"Master Yoda? Who the hell is that?"

Tony laughed. "Seriously?" His smile faded as he realized that Gibbs seriously had no idea whom he was referring to. "You've never watched Star Wars?"

"Nope."

He still couldn't believe what he was hearing. "You've really got to get out of that basement, Gibbs; as soon as I find a place and get settled, I'm having you over for a Star Wars marathon."

Before Gibbs could offer a retort, Rita set their plates down in front of them. "You guys need anything else?"

Tony shook his head. "No thanks, Rita."

"All right. Enjoy and I'll check on you in a bit."

The two men began to eat, Tony forcing down every bite. "So, back to the phone," he said, picking at his food. "You know that you don't have to fight my battles, but thanks for handling this one."

"It's a temporary fix, but it'll give you time to deal with more important things."

Tony nodded in agreement. "Guess I better make my reservations."

"_Our_ reservations," Gibbs corrected.

He knew that there wasn't any use to try and persuade Gibbs that he didn't have to go to L.A. with him; the detective had already tried and failed to reason with the Navy cop. Tony didn't want the agent to feel like he was obligated to go but he also knew that Gibbs didn't do anything that he didn't want to do. "Gibbs, you don't…"

"Don't waste your breath, DiNozzo; I'm going with you."

Tony swallowed hard, not trusting his voice at the moment. What had he done in the past few weeks to earn such devotion from Gibbs?

Obviously sensing his discomfort, Gibbs put down in fork and leaned forward. "Tony, I'm going with you. How many times is it going to take until you get it through your thick head? We're partners and partners have each others back."

"I've never…I'm used to keeping everyone at arms length, even my partners," Tony admitted. "I considered Drew a good friend and I still made sure that he didn't get too close. You…you seem to know me without actually knowing anything about me; I guess, I guess you kind of…you know…"

He struggled not to squirm as Gibbs stared at him, waiting semi-patiently for him to finish his thoughts. "You guess I kind of what?"

Tony blew out a breath he didn't realize that he'd been holding. "It's nothing; I was just rambling," he said, wishing that he had kept his mouth closed. Tony knew that Gibbs wouldn't accept his half ass answer but that knowledge didn't stop him from trying to steer the conversation away from his personal feelings.

Unfortunately, Gibbs was not about to be deterred. "What were you going to say, Tony? That I kind of creep you out?"

The young man looked at Gibbs in disbelief. "Uh, I guess that's one way to put it; I don't mean it in a bad way. I just…"

"I didn't take it in a bad way," the agent grinned. "It's called learning to anticipate; you do it too but you don't realize you do it. Besides, I have to do something to keep you on your toes."

"You do?" Tony sat back in his seat. "Can't you just give me a warning or something when you're going to finish my sentences or sneak upon me?"

"Where's the fun in that?"

"Has anyone ever told you that have a sick sense of humor?"

Gibbs smiled grew wider. "All three of my ex-wives."

Tony's laughter filled their corner. "So, do I get to hear about the ex-wives?"

"Only when I'm three sheets to the wind."

"Does that ever happen?"

"Not in a long time."

"So, besides you being totally wasted, is there any other chance I'll get to hear about them?" Tony pressed.

The NCIS agent shrugged. "Probably not."

"You know, I really don't know a lot about you," the younger man pointed out. "It'd be nice to know _something_ about my new boss."

"There's nothing to know that you don't already know."

"You were a Marine…" Tony continued, trying to ignore the figurative door that had just been slammed in his face. If there was one thing that Gibbs should know about him was that he didn't easily give up.

"Are a Marine," Gibbs corrected. "Once a Marine, always a Marine."

Tony had heard that saying before but he had never truly considered the meaning behind those words. It was a symbol of the loyalty that Gibbs still felt towards the Marines and towards his country and the detective understood beyond a shadow of a doubt that he was now a beneficiary of that same level of fidelity.

"Is that where your rules came from?" Tony asked. "The Marines?"

Tony didn't miss the hint of sadness that fluttered across the other man's features; it was as if he was remembering something painful in his past. Maybe trying to delve into Gibbs' past wasn't' such a good idea. The last thing he wanted to do was to force the memories that Gibbs had long buried to the surface. He also had quite a few things in his past that he wanted to remain locked up tight so no one could see them; sometimes it was best to leave things alone.

He was mildly surprised when Gibbs answered, "Some of them."

"Exactly how many rules do you have?"

"A few."

"How many's a few?"

"I don't know," Gibbs replied in between bites of his meal. "I don't have a doubt that you'll learn them all."

"All of them?" Tony gulped.

"Don't worry, I'll give you a couple of weeks before I test you on them."

He decided that he never wanted to play poker with Gibbs; it was almost impossible to tell if the agent was actually bluffing or not. "Hope you got a list somewhere so that I can study them."

"Nope, they're all up here," Gibbs said as he tapped his graying temple to emphasize the fact that they were permanently etched in his mind. "You can probably learn at least half of them on the way to L.A."

Tony put his fork down and stared at the man before him. "You're kidding me, right? I mean, you're just doing this so I'll quit asking personal questions; am I right?"

He didn't get a reply; instead Gibbs gave him one of those irritating smiles that told Tony that the agent wasn't going to answer any more of his questions any time soon. This was a man who guarded his privacy just as much as he did; Tony suddenly realized that he didn't need to know about Gibbs' past. They were still in the very early stages of developing a friendship and right now the only thing that mattered was that he _knew_ that Gibbs had his six and that he could trust the man with his life; he hoped that the feelings were mutual.

"So do you have a preference for what time we leave?" Tony asked, wisely deciding to take the conversation down a different path.

"First flight you can get is fine with me."

"I'll call the airline as soon as we're done here."

"Sounds like a plan."

They finished their meal and as Tony was draining the last of his coffee, Rita came over and refilled their cups and placed a piece of pie in front of the two men. Taking their empty plates, she asked, "Can I get you anything else?"

Tony took her hand and gently squeezed it. "We're fine, Rita."

He didn't miss the not so subtle glance that she exchanged with Gibbs as the agent suddenly excused himself to go to the restroom. Tony couldn't help but wonder how she could get Gibbs to do what she wanted and he couldn't even get him to answer a couple of questions. He pushed the thought to the back of his mind as Rita sat down across from him and took his other hand in hers.

"I don't have long because I have to get back to work but there's something I want to tell you," she said.

"What is it?"

Her smile always seemed to warm his heart and now was no exception. "I don't know a lot about this Gibbs, but I do know that he's a good man and that you can trust him. I know trust comes hard for you but give him a chance."

"I am," Tony assured her. "Gibbs is still a…mystery to me; I'm still not quite sure exactly what he sees in me, but I'm glad he's on my side."

"What do you mean you don't know what he sees in you? Tony, you deserve this and don't you forget it."

"I'll try to remember," he promised. "It's just hard…"

"I know it is," Rita soothed. "I want your word that you're going to give Gibbs a chance; I have a feeling that he's exactly what you need. Besides, I feel better knowing that he's…how do you put it? Got your six?"

He grinned at his long time friend; Rita had looked after him ever since he moved to Baltimore and her willingness to listen to him had given him someone that he could turn to when the pressures of life became too much. Tony owed her so much but he knew that all she truly wanted as repayment was for him to be happy.

"Yeah," Tony nodded. "He's got my six."

"And don't you forget it or else _I'll _come and kick your six."

The detective laughed. "I won't forget." Leaning over the table, he gave Rita another kiss on the cheek. "Thank you for everything."

"I better get back to work. I'll bring you and Gibbs a coffee to go."

Tony gave her a wink as she stood up and returned to work. As if he were waiting for his cue, Gibbs sat back down and began eating his pie. "Everything okay?" the agent asked.

"Yeah. Rita just wanted to be sure that I was doing all right."

"And are you?"

He smiled as he picked up the check and rose up from his seat. So much had happened in the

past few weeks and he realized that despite the tragedies he had been faced with, his life was still worth living and that given time, he was going to be all right. Although he had a feeling that he had a few more sleepless nights ahead of him because of his tendency to replay and mull over the decisions that he had made, he now felt that he could face them knowing that he wasn't alone and he had friends who would help him through anything.

"I'm getting there," Tony finally answered, his voice possessing a confidence that he hadn't felt in a long time. "I'm getting there."

Everything that he had done in the past few months had tested his resolve and even before he met Gibbs, he was growing weary of getting beaten down by the growing opposition. Tony had actually started to doubt himself and what he was doing but Gibbs had managed to force him to summon that inner courage that he needed to finish his fight and finish it he would.

**Wow! Would you all believe that there are only one or two chapters (depending on how long I make them) left with this story? Thank you all for your support and encouragement and I hope that you have enjoyed this story. I also hope that you will check out the new stories that will be coming up shortly! Again, thank you from the bottom of my heart. **


	17. Chapter 17

Part 17

Tony found himself staring out the window as Gibbs drove down the country road that would ultimately lead to the home of Wendy's parents. This had been the part of the trip that he had been dreading the most but he had to bring Wendy's body home; they would want her buried close to home and he didn't have the heart to deny them their wish. Their last words had not been amicable and as far as Tony knew, Al and June were still blaming him for their daughter's death but not as much as he was still blaming himself. He had tried not to let their anger filled words bother him but the words that had been spoken had cut deep and those wounds would take a long time to heal.

The trip to L.A. had been quick and fortunately he hadn't been detained by any red tape in claiming Wendy's body. He had known that Wendy's parents wouldn't have been able to handle coming out to L.A., the place where their daughter had been brutally murdered; so the undesired duty had fallen to him and he had readily accepted it out of the love that he still carried for Wendy. Tony figured since he wasn't her next of kin that LAPD wouldn't want to release her into his custody but thankfully, Gibbs had pulled a few strings and called in a couple of favors, enabling him to take Wendy home.

They had flown back with her body and were met at the airport by the funeral home director who had taken Wendy's remains to be prepared for burial. Gibbs had rented a car and now they were on their way to Al and June's; he had no idea how this meeting would go and he was grateful that Gibbs was with him. He was discovering that he appreciated the older man's presence; Tony was definitely getting used to Gibbs watching his back.

"How much farther, Tony?" Gibbs asked, forcing him back to the present moment.

"Uh, a couple more miles," he replied. "There'll be a dirt road on your right; take it and it leads to their house."

"You sure you're up for this?"

Tony nodded as he laid his head back against the headrest. "Yeah, they deserve some closure too; it's the least I can do."

"You're a good man, DiNozzo."

"I don't know about that, but they deserve to say good bye."

"What about you?"

"I'm okay," he sighed.

"You sure about that? Last time you talked to them, it didn't go too well."

Gibbs wasn't telling him anything that he didn't already know; he could still hear Al's words echoing in his mind. "I don't know but right now, I can't think about myself."

He was forced to grab onto the overhead handle when Gibbs suddenly pulled the car over on the side of the road and came to a sudden stop. Tony looked at him in surprise. "Something wrong?" he asked, confused by the agent's harsh glare.

"Yeah, Tony, something's wrong," Gibbs snapped.

"I'm not sure what you mean."

"It's past time that you started thinking about yourself; at some point you've got to realize that every once in a while that you have to do something for yourself," Gibbs said. "It's the only way to keep your sanity."

Tony remembered Wendy telling him the exact same words; he had a tendency to put his needs and desires aside, hiding his true feelings for the benefit of others. It was something he had learned a long time ago as a child and had carried over into his adult life. His father had taught him along the way that his wants and needs were not a priority; Tony had become convinced that his feelings no longer mattered and that the only way to protect himself from being hurt was to hide behind the mask that he expertly wore.

"Did you hear me?" Gibbs wanted to know.

"I heard you," Tony answered. He realized that Gibbs was speaking from experience and that the older man was imparting that lesson to him; it was up to the detective to apply it to his life. A mischievous grin escaped his lips. "Is that why you have a boat in your basement? It keeps you sane?"

"Yep; with three ex-wives, I have to do something," Gibbs quipped.

"I'll try, Gibbs," he promised. "That's the best I can do. I was raised to believe that what I wanted didn't matter; it's going to be hard to break a habit after all these years." Tony wasn't sure why he had revealed that part of his life to Gibbs; he supposed that it was useless to try and keep anything from Gibbs because the man had the ability to read him like a book.

Gibbs shook his head as he pulled the gearshift down into drive and merged back onto the road. "I can't wait to meet your father," he said.

"Actually, I hope you never do; I have a feeling that the two of you wouldn't get along." Tony realized that he had just made the understatement of the century. His dad was a conman and a master manipulator, two things he knew that Gibbs wouldn't tolerate.

"I don't know why not," Gibbs mused. "I'm a nice guy."

Tony couldn't contain his laughter. Glancing over, he saw that Gibbs wasn't laughing and he immediately schooled his features. "Sorry, Boss."

"Are you saying I'm _not_ a nice guy, DiNozzo?"

He swallowed hard and looked out the front window. "Uh, no, Gibbs; I'm not saying that at all. You're a really nice guy and…"

The young man was silenced by a head slap. He winced and rubbed the back of his head. "This is becoming a regular thing, isn't it?"

"Looks that way."

Tony pointed to the road up ahead. "Turn up here," he instructed.

Gibbs made the right turn and as they drew nearer to the house, the knot in Tony's gut began to pull tighter. He was beginning to wonder if seeing Al and June was one of his better ideas; perhaps he should have just allowed the funeral home to contact them and not face the grieving couple. As the agent pulled up in their driveway and put the car in park, Tony knew that it was too late to change his mind; he had to see this through.

He could feel Gibbs' concerned gaze fixed on him as he rested his hand on the door handle.

"You getting out?" the former Marine inquired.

"Yeah." Despite his answer, he had yet to get out of the car.

"Today?"

He knew that Gibbs was pushing him but he didn't mind; Tony was aware that he sometimes needed an extra push and this was one of those times. "I'm going."

Tony got out of the car and shut his door while Gibbs followed suit. Glancing at the NCIS agent, he nodded his silent thanks and purposefully made his way up the steps of the front porch and knocked on the door. He found himself hoping that Al and June weren't at home but when the door opened, those hopes were dashed.

"Tony," Al greeted, a hint of astonishment evident in his voice. "What are you doing here?"

He glanced over his shoulder at Gibbs, who silently urged him on with a barely perceptible nod. Tony cleared his throat and slowly exhaled the breath he'd been holding. "I uh…I'm not going to stay long," he began. "I just wanted to tell you that I brought Wendy's body back and she's at the funeral home now; you can make whatever arrangements you want. I uh…I guess that's all I came to say."

The door opened wider and Al gestured for Tony and Gibbs to enter. "Come in; I'll go and get June."

Tony shook his head; he truly wasn't expecting to be invited into their home. "I don't want to impose. I…"

"Please," Al said. "June and I have something we need to say to you."

"I'm not so sure this is a good idea; I think you said enough last time we talked."

"Actually, I said some things that I should have never said," the older man admitted. "I'd like the chance to set things straight. Now, please come in."

He entered the house with Gibbs in tow. If the agent hadn't been blocking Tony's path, he might have been tempted to head back out the door and run away but now that he was in the house, there wasn't a chance of escaping. Al insisted that the two of them make themselves comfortable and excused himself for a moment. Gibbs sat on the couch but Tony couldn't bring himself to sit down; instead, he began to pace, his nerves on edge.

Although Al seemingly felt that he owed him an apology, Tony still wasn't sure what to expect; he wasn't sure that he would be able to handle another verbal assault like the previous one. Tony would always have to live with the knowledge that he was the reason that Wendy was dead; he didn't need her parents constantly reminding him of his guilt.

"It sounds like you got an apology coming," Gibbs said.

Tony raked his hands through his hair. "Yeah, maybe."

"You don't think so?"

"I don't know what to think; I wasn't expecting one."

"Maybe they've had time to think about things."

"Maybe."

"Guess you're about to find out."

Tony stopped mid stride as Al and June entered the room. Without a second thought, the tiny woman fell into his arms, apologizing profusely in between her tears. "I'm so sorry, Tony," she sobbed. "I never meant…to hurt you. I was…angry and needed to blame someone. I know you loved Wendy. I…"

He pulled her small frame into a tight embrace, his chin resting on top of her head as she wept into his chest. "It's all right," he soothed. "It's all right."

The detective had no idea how long the two of them stood in the middle of the living room, consoling each other, before June finally pulled away. "I'm glad you came," she sniffled. "I tried to call you but I kept getting a message that your number isn't in service."

"I had to change my number," he informed her.

"Why?"

"I uh…got a new number; I was getting a lot of wrong numbers." Although it wasn't a complete lie, Tony hoped that he wouldn't have to expand upon the reasons why he had changed his number.

He was glad grateful that June didn't press the issue. "Well, be sure that we get your new number," she said. "You were an important part of Wendy's life and we don't want to lose touch with you."

"Okay," Tony agreed.

Almost as an afterthought, he gestured to the agent still sitting on the couch. Gibbs had apparently been content to watch the tearful reunion but Tony knew that he had been ready to step in and referee if it had been necessary. "This is Special Agent Jethro Gibbs; he helped me catch the man responsible for Wendy's death; Gibbs, this is Al and June, Wendy's parents."

Gibbs stood up and shook the couple's hands. "Nice to meet you."

"Thank you for what you did," Al said. "We truly appreciate it."

"I'm sorry for your loss but I was glad I could help."

"Tony, won't you and Agent Gibbs stay for supper? I have plenty," Wendy's mom insisted.

He wasn't sure that he was ready to sit down to a meal with his once future in laws; Tony wasn't convinced that he could deal with the memories of the past when he and Wendy would come up and spend the weekend with her parents. Those had been special times and although Al and June had apologized for their harsh words, he still felt a little uncomfortable around them. "I uh…I don't think that…"

"Please, Tony," Al added. "It would mean a lot, besides you haven't received my apology yet."

"You don't have to…"

"Yes, I do. I shouldn't have blamed you and I'm sorry; I hope you can forgive me."

"There's nothing to forgive."

Al squeezed his shoulder. "You're a good man; Wendy was a lucky girl."

Tony shook his head. "No, I was the lucky one."

June took him by the arm and began to lead him into the dining room. He glanced over his shoulder to see Al ushering Gibbs in as well; there would be no chance of leaving now, not until they finished their supper. Tony kept hoping that the agent would create some kind of reason that would provide a plausible excuse for them to leave, but Gibbs seemed content to stay and since the agent had the keys to the car, he quickly deducted that his only choice was to stay. He made a mental note to make sure that he was the one driving from now on.

"I hope you're hungry; it looks like you've lost a little weight," June observed.

"Maybe a little; I've been putting in a lot of hours lately."

"Wendy always said that you could live off coffee and pizza if you had to," she recalled. "Well, maybe now you can get some rest and get some home cooking in you. Now you make yourselves comfortable while I bring out the food."

Tony and Gibbs sat down as Al set two extra places and June placed the food on the table. He could have sworn that he saw Gibbs smile at the fact that this petite woman was bossing him around; maybe he should tell June about the agent's three ex-wives and then she would have something else to focus on besides him.

"Don't even think about it, DiNozzo," Gibbs said under his breath.

He looked at Gibbs in amazement. How did he do that? How could this man that he'd known only for a couple of weeks seem to be able to know what he was thinking?

Sighing, he unfolded the napkin and put it on his lap as the last bowl was set on the table. Al and June sat down across from them and after grace was said, June began to pile heaping mounds of food on his plate. He glanced over at his future boss; this time there wasn't a doubt in his mind that Gibbs was definitely grinning at his predicament.

Dinner wasn't as awkward as Tony thought it was going to be, the conversation steered away from anything personal to the investigation. Her parents had listened intently as he explained how he and Gibbs had managed to prove that Waters had not only killed his partner but had been behind Wendy's murder as well. He didn't go into a lot of details because there were certain things that her parents didn't need to hear; they just wanted to hear that the man responsible for their daughter's death was going to be punished.

Tony grew silent when June placed her hand on top of his. "Thank you, Tony," she said. "Thank you for obtaining justice for our daughter and for bringing her home."

Uncertain what to say, he settled on a simple, "You're welcome," giving her hand a gentle squeeze.

"Will you go with us to the funeral home to make the arrangements?"

"If you want me to; I uh…wasn't sure if you'd want me there," he admitted.

"Tony, you were going to marry our daughter, I think you've got the right to have a say in the arrangements," Al pointed out.

"All right," Tony conceded. "Just let me know when you're going to meet with the funeral home and I'll meet you there."

The four of them continued to eat the fine meal that June had put before them; the rest of their conversation was lighthearted and informal and Tony started to relax and even Gibbs had managed to become engrossed in one or two of Al's stories. After dinner, Tony helped June with the dishes while Al lured Gibbs out to his workshop to show him some of his projects.

Tony gathered the plates and handed them to June. "I hope Al doesn't talk Agent Gibbs' ear off," the older woman said as she began to load the dishwasher.

"Don't worry; Gibbs can hold his own," he assured her.

"I noticed that he seems to have your number," she mused.

"I guess you could say that."

"He seems like a good man."

"He is. He's helped me a lot." Actually, he wasn't sure that he'd even be alive if it wasn't for Gibbs watching his back.

"He's very protective of you; I'm glad you have someone to look after you," June said.

"You don't have to worry about me; Gibbs has got my six."

"That's good to know."

They finished the dishes and as Tony was wiping down the counter, June took him by the hand and led him back to the table. "Sit down," she instructed. "I'll be right back."

He stared down the hall after her until she returned with two envelopes in her hand. Sitting down, she handed the first one to him and he immediately recognized Wendy's handwriting. Tony nervously licked his lips and asked, "What's this?"

"Wendy gave it to me before she went out to L.A.; she gave this to me soon after you two announced your engagement with instructions that if anything ever happened to her, I was to give it to you. You don't have to read it now; you can wait until you're ready."

Tony swallowed hard. He clutched the letter in his hand as he took a moment to push back the flood of emotions that were trying to break through the dam that he built around his heart. "Thank you," he finally whispered. "I promise you that I'll read it soon; I just can't right now."

"I know."

Clearing his throat, he nodded towards the other envelope in her hand. "What's that?"

"This is the money that Al and I put back for the wedding. We want you to have it."

Tony shook his head vehemently. "I can't take this. You and Al need this and…"

"We're fine," she insisted. "We want you to have it."

He thumbed through the money, mentally figuring that there had to be at least three thousand dollars in the envelope. "You'll need this more than I do," he protested.

"No we don't. We just couldn't bring ourselves to use that money; this money was to be spent on what would have been a new beginning and we want _you_ to take it. The funeral has been taken care of; Mr. Morehead at the funeral home informed us that an anonymous donation came in earmarked for her funeral. We don't know who would have done this noble gesture, but I guess we'll never know."

The young man managed to keep his expression neutral upon learning about the anonymous donor; the director had honored his request and he didn't see any need to reveal his identity now. Forcing himself to focus on the present moment, he tried to hand the envelope of money back to June. "Please," Tony pleaded. "I can't."

June took his hands in hers. "Tony, take it; I'm sure that you'll know exactly what to do with it."

He didn't trust himself to speak. Taking the two envelopes, he tucked them in his jacket pocket. The older woman graced him with a smile and a kiss on the cheek. "Just remember, you deserve to be happy."

Tony smiled at June as she rose from her chair and began to finish cleaning up the kitchen. Pushing himself up from his seat, he walked over and opened the door that led to the back deck; he needed a few minutes alone to collect his jumbled thoughts. When he had arrived at Al and June's, he hadn't expected a warm welcome but yet they had received him into their home just as if nothing had happened and treated him like he was still a member of their family.

He found himself staring out towards Al's workshop, wondering what Gibbs and Wendy's father were talking about. Tony supposed that it didn't really matter in the grand scheme of things; what did matter was that he was beginning to feel like he could face his future and put behind him the guilt that weighed him down. Al and June wanted him to be happy and although he hadn't read Wendy's letter yet, he had a feeling that she would be insisting on the same thing.

The forgiveness from Wendy's parents and the subsequent reconciliation had convinced Tony that he could go on living and that he had a right to be content in his life; there would be difficult days ahead, but his new found friends as well as a few old ones, would be around to lend a helping hand when he needed it. He had learned that it wasn't a crime to ask for help but it was going to take a while to undo a lifetime of relying only on himself; like he told Gibbs, old habits were hard to break, but for the first time in his life, he felt like he was up to the challenge.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Gibbs' calloused fingers traced the fine craftsmanship of Al's woodworking as the other man talked about how many different things he had made over the years. It wasn't often that he met someone who shared a similar interest and while Al wasn't building a boat in his basement, they still managed to find a common ground.

"You do good work," Gibbs stated.

"It's all done by hand tools; no power tools for me."

"I know what you mean; it takes something away from what you're doing."

"Yeah," Al agreed.

After a few seconds of companionable silence, Al cleared his throat; Gibbs knew that he was finally getting around to saying what he had wanted to say ever since they walked outside. He figured that Al was taking the time to decide if he could trust him and the agent had patiently played the game, answering every question that Wendy's father could throw his way.

"I uh…appreciate all you're doing for Tony; he's a good man," Al began.

"Yes he is."

"I've been watching the news and I know what happened; I haven't told June everything because she'd just worry and she doesn't need the stress. With everything that's happening, Tony can't go back to work for Baltimore; do you know what he's going to do?"

"Yes sir; he's coming to work for me at NCIS."

A smile escaped Al's lips. "That's good; he needs a fresh start. He's been through hell and I know that we didn't help matters much but we were wrong in our accusations."

"Takes a big man to admit when he's wrong."

"Thank you, Agent Gibbs," Al said. "But this isn't about me; I want to be sure that Tony has someone watching his back."

Gibb grinned at Al as he extended his hand. "You can count on it. You have my word."

"That's good enough for me."

The agent was grateful that things had turned out so well for DiNozzo. He didn't need the added blame that Al and June had initially placed on him; now that the air had been cleared, he hoped that some of the burden of guilt Tony had been carrying would be lifted. It would still take time for the young man to put everything behind him but at least now, he could begin his journey towards the future and Gibbs vowed to be beside him every step of the way.

**I hope you all enjoyed the post. Epilogue to follow.**

**Thank you to AZGirl for the beta; any remaining mistakes are mine. **


	18. Chapter 18

Part 18

**Epilogue**

Tony DiNozzo stepped into the elevator that would take him up the several stories necessary to reach the bullpen that he would be sharing with Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs. Today was his first day as a probationary NCIS agent and he was looking forward to beginning this new chapter in his life. Although he still had to go through FLETC, Gibbs wanted to go over a few things before he became wrapped up in the classes he had to take; Tony just hoped that he wasn't going to have a test on all of his rules because he fairly certain that he couldn't remember any of them after number eighteen.

Thinking over the past couple of weeks, Tony felt like he had been caught in a whirlwind; so much had happened and he had barely taken the time to process everything but now that things were slowly returning to normal, perhaps he could actually think about the path that his life had taken.

Wendy's funeral had been simple yet beautiful. Al and June had asked him to play her favorite song on the piano and he had reluctantly obliged; previously, he had only played for Wendy in the privacy of their home, but he found that he couldn't deny her parents their request. Tony grinned when he recalled the look on Gibbs' face when he had learned about his ability to play the piano; the agent had patted him on the back and told him that it was good to know that his future agent was full of surprises.

After the funeral, he and Gibbs had returned to D.C. and the first thing that had been on his agenda was to tender his resignation from Baltimore P.D. He went to the department so he could personally delivered the letter to the interim captain, ignoring the myriad of stares, murmurings, and congratulations that the other detectives had uttered. Captain Mike Deskins had praised Tony for his part in exposing his predecessor and the corruption that had stemmed from Waters' leadership; DiNozzo had thanked Deskins for the compliment and then had proceeded to inform the man that he was resigning.

The Captain had tried to persuade Tony to stay by offering him a promotion, stating that he needed a man of Tony's integrity to help restore the reputation of the precinct. Deskins had known that there were still those in the department who were loyal to Waters and desperately wanted to be rid of these troublemakers. These same men had also been among the ones that had left threatening messages and had sworn to make Tony's life miserable; of course, the loyalists had been quickly silenced by some of the other detectives who apparently had decided to support him unconditionally. Tony had wondered where those colleagues had been when he had really needed them; he supposed that it truly didn't matter now, but it still didn't keep him from considering how things could have turned out differently for everyone involved.

DiNozzo had been humbled by Deskin's offer but he had already made his decision; it was time to put his past behind him and move forward. After Tony had declined the offer, he had given the Captain his badge and his department issued gun and walked out to meet Gibbs, who had been waiting by the car. He had insisted that the agent remain outside and his future boss had honored his wishes; Tony knew that Gibbs had understood that there were some things that he had to do alone and respected him enough to give him his space.

Gibbs had then driven him to his apartment where he would begin the laborious process of packing and moving. Tony had used that time not only to clean and pack but to make arrangements for the money that Al and June had given him; knowing that he'd never be able to use it, he had set up a scholarship in her memory that would be awarded to a graduating high school senior who wanted to pursue a career in the performing arts. He figured that Wendy would approve and it was one way of keeping her memory alive.

He had only had a couple months left on his lease and after hearing about his heroics, his landlady had graciously released him from the obligation without any penalties. The kindhearted lady had even taken the time to connect him with one of her friends in D.C. who had put in a good word for him at another apartment building in a decent neighborhood. The young man had looked at the apartment and liked it but he especially liked his neighbors; he had two elderly ladies living on either side of him and they had easily succumbed to the DiNozzo charm and had made promises to feed him and watch out for him. Although he would never admit it, he had enjoyed the attention; the way they fussed over him reminded that there were still good people in the world.

Tony had to wait a month before he could move in but as long as Gibbs, Abby, and Ducky didn't mind him crashing at their respective places, he was content for the moment. He had voluntarily rotated between the three of them because he was hesitant about overstaying his welcome despite their insistence that he wasn't. Tony had taken the opportunity to get to know them and his fondness for them had grown beyond colleagues; these people were becoming his family.

The sound of the elevator dinging had brought him back to the present and as the doors opened, he was greeted by Gibbs who was standing in his path with two cups of coffee in hand. The agent handed Tony one of the cups and motioned for him to join him at the small area of the room that contained two desks. The dark haired man sat down at the first desk and he suddenly felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up; he slowly raised his eyes to meet Gibbs' stoic glare.

"This isn't my desk, is it?" he sheepishly inquired.

"Nope."

"Sorry, Boss." Tony quickly rose from Gibbs' seat and sat at the opposite desk.

He set down his backpack and unzipped it so that he could put a few of his personal items on the barren desk. "That can wait," Gibbs said. "I've got some other stuff for you to do."

"Such as?"

Gibbs placed a small stack of folders on his desk. "These need to be filled out so I can return them to personnel; they've been on my back for the last two weeks. The Director also wants to meet with you in an hour, so don't be late."

"Got it."

Tony opened the first file and there was the letter that Wendy had written to him; he had found every excuse in the book not to read it, afraid that the emotions that he had managed to keep at bay would come gushing forth unbidden. He picked it up and stared at Gibbs as he silently questioned the agent as to how the hell it had ended up in a folder on his desk.

"I noticed it on the floor after you left to go to Ducky's yesterday," Gibbs explained. "Don't you think it's time that you read it?"

"I uh…I'm going to."

"When?"

Tony shrugged. "When I'm ready."

"If you wait until you're ready, you'll never read it. Believe me; I know all about making excuses. Maybe you're not the only one that needed closure; maybe she was looking for some closure too."

"I'll read it later," Tony said as he started to put the letter back in his bag.

"No time like the present," Gibbs pointed out as he headed towards the elevator. "I'm going to see Abby; I'll be back in a few." The agent glanced back over his shoulder. "By the way, DiNozzo; glad you're here."

Tony knew that Gibbs was giving him ample time and opportunity to read the letter, but he was still reluctant to do so in the presence of these strangers. As he looked around the room, he noticed that no one was paying particular attention to him so he pulled the envelope back out of his bag and began to trace the elegant letters that had been formed by Wendy's hand.

Pushing all doubts aside, he carefully opened the letter and began to read to himself.

_Dearest Tony,_

_If you're reading this letter, it can only mean one thing. I don't know what the circumstances were that led to my death and I really don't suppose it matters now; what does matter is that you don't stop living. I know how personally you take things and how easily you manage to find a way to blame yourself for things you have no control over, so I can only imagine what you're doing now that I'm gone. _

_If our situations were reversed, I couldn't imagine having to go on without you so I know that you had to have had similar thoughts. However, you are the strongest man I know and while you may be hurting, I know that you have that inner strength in you to keep putting one foot in front of the other. It's okay to grieve and it's okay to remember, but it's not okay to live in the past. You must move on._

_I love you with all my heart and I want you to be happy. I want you to promise me that when you think of me, it won't be with a heavy heart but with a joyful one; if you can't make that promise today, hopefully there will be a day that you will be able to. Until then, my love, stay strong, live your life to the fullest, and remember what we had. _

_Until we meet again in a better place,_

_All my love,_

_Wendy _

Tony folded the letter up and put it back in his bag. He scrubbed his face, wiping away the vestiges of tears that had welled up in his eyes; the last thing he wanted to do was draw any unwanted attention to himself. Tony mulled over the words of the letter; her only wish was for him to be happy and while he was still struggling with her death and everything that had happened, he couldn't bear the thought of letting Wendy down. "I promise," he whispered to himself. "I promise."

Gibbs chose that exact moment to reappear. One day Tony was going to figure out how the man managed to move around like a ghost; that knowledge would more than likely save him a lot of head slaps.

"Got those forms signed yet, DiNozzo?"

He cleared his throat and answered, "Working on it, Boss."

As Tony began to read and fill out the forms for personnel, he couldn't help but consider how good his life was at the moment. He still had to make it through the upcoming trials of Josh Morgan and his former superiors, but Tony knew that he wouldn't have to face the flames alone. It was a new experience to have someone besides himself that he could count on and it was going to take time for him to get used to the idea; fortunately, his friends seemed to be willing to give him that time.

A new chapter of his life was being written and Tony was anxious to see how it turned out; perhaps there would be a series of novels, or better yet, a made for TV movie. A sudden thwack to the back of the head brought him out of his reverie.

"Quit day dreaming," he gruffly ordered.

Tony grinned at the newly appointed team leader. "Sorry, Gibbs. I was just thinking."

"Don't hurt yourself; you're not even on payroll yet."

His smile grew wider at the agent's dry sense of humor. Taking a sip of his coffee, he continued to sign the forms in front of him as Gibbs dove into what looked like a mountain of paperwork that was littering his inbox. Tony knew that it wasn't always going to be easy working for Gibbs, but he was up to the challenge; just like he had promised Wendy, he was moving forward and living his life in such a way that she would be proud of him.

"Something funny, DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked without looking up from his paperwork.

"Not at all, Boss," Tony replied. "All this…all this just feels right; you know what I mean?"

"Yep."

"You do?" he pressed.

Tony didn't miss the gleam in Gibbs' eyes when he answered. "Yeah; it means that you're where you belong."

Gibbs was right; for the first time in his life, Tony felt like he truly belonged somewhere. During his entire career as a cop, he had never spent any longer than two years with one department; his reasons for leaving had been varied but he had no plans on leaving NCIS in two years. He had a lot to learn and he was going to be learning from the best; Tony figured that he could work for the rest of his life for Gibbs and still only know half of what the team leader possessed in that keen mind. Yes, life was good and soon to be Very Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo was right where he belonged.

**The End**

**Another story has come to an end! I can't thank my readers enough; the kind words and constant reviews were such a treat and inspired me to keep writing. I'm truly blessed! **

**A special shout out to AZGirl for her beta and serving as my sounding board; so basically, if you see any mistakes, they are mine! **

**Again, thank you all from the bottom of my heart and I hope that you stick around to check out my new stories, which are almost ready to post (I have to come up with some summaries…yuck!). They will be up this weekend, so I hope you'll be watching for them! **


End file.
